How to Thaw a Frozen Heart
by N1kk1 Starlet
Summary: Jack never expected he would meet the princess of Arendelle ever again. After all, she shut him out since that fateful encounter. But now that the ice had thawed, it seems that guilt slips into the depth of Elsa's mind once more, when she hears that her sister is having a baby. In the corners of his cell, Hans seeks revenge and teams up with an unlikely source. jelsa epic. complete
1. Chapter 1

**I finally. SAW. FROZEN. Finally, after thousands of years! Mwahahahaha- okay, not really, probably a month, give or take a few days. But yeah. I have to admit I was indifferent to watching it, because I thought I was getting too old for disney and... it just... looked like the average run-of-the-mill plot line to me. Female lead, falls in love with incredibly handsome guy, has evil sister for a queen, and a comedic relief snowman thrown in there. *shrug* however, the fans on tumblr, deviantART and on here really changed my perspective of it, given how much attention it's gotten. Now I could probably go on and on how much I love this film and everything about it, but... maybe I should explain the title, eh? Still reading? Cool. **

**So, mind you I haven't watched _Rise of the Guardians_ in so long. Maybe if I find it on youtube I'll get around to watching it. In the forum, I noticed that a lot of you people are shipping Elsa with Jack. At first, I couldn't really see him dating her because he's "imaginary" to kids, but you guys created the _Big Four _with Merdia, Hiccup, Jack, and Rapunzel, so I just decided to roll with it. When I roll with things... I slowly become obsessed. And I create fanfics. And I draw the characters. *awkward silence* **

**...heh. Yeah, that's my story. This is going to be about how I think Elsa and Jack should fall in love, with a few obstacles thrown here and there. The scene opens up when the Guardians were trying to deliver all the coins to save the memories from Pitch, then they'll be a timeskip in regarding each respective movie. **

**Without further ado... **

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Rise of the Guardians_, or _Frozen_. Sadly. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter one: Candlestine meeting_

* * *

Nobody would ever imagine two worlds to collide. It was unheard of. Strange. Especially for the Guardian of Winter. Now, he's certainly met many interesting characters in his lifetime. When he was human, and when the Man in The Moon chose him. However… nothing can top seeing the young princess of Arendelle all alone, with no one to console her.

And this is where our new story begins. You don't have to believe it if you don't want to, but all that's necessary for you is to listen.

0o0o0o0o

Jack laughed as he hung onto the edge of the sleigh, ignoring The Easter Bunny's taunts. He smirked up at his fellow guardian, and jumped onto a roof, ready to find a child who believes.

"Hah! Beat you!" Tooth exclaimed, waving the memory in her hand. Jack pouted and threw his staff on the ground.

"Hey, no fair!" He grumbled. He stuck out his tongue.

She giggled and buzzed off, her little fairies flying after her. "C'mon Jack, you should know this by now! I'm a natural!"

The Easter Bunny laughed and smirked at him. "Arendelle's one of our biggest jackpots to date. So quit _snogging _and get _moving, _we still have a lot of ground to cover, mate!"

Jack blushed at his choice of words and nodded, picking up his staff. In a matter of minutes, the gang of Guardians finished their task, and were just about to fly off to the next kingdom. However, a small cry alerted Jack's ears, and he yelled out to stop the sleigh. North looked at him in surprise.

"What's the matter, boy? We got everyone!"

He shook his head in bewilderment, turning his head towards the castle in the distance. "No, no, I could've sworn I heard…"

The elder Guardians each shared a look, unsure of how to tell him. The eldest royal child didn't believe in any of them. She was only upset over how she hurt her sister, and spent day after day trying to keep everyone locked out of her room. As much as they tried to bring joy to her, it seemed Pitch became of her first.

Tooth sighed and fluttered over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We'll wait for you here."

"_What?!"_ Both the Easter Bunny and North exclaimed. The Sandman's eyes grew wide and he had a question mark over his head.

Jack smiled gratefully at her and nodded, flying off towards the castle.

"You… you just…but…!"

The fairy glared and folded her arms. "If anyone can save her, it's Jack. Come on, have a little faith, would you? Elsa needs somebody like him…"

Meanwhile, the young Guardian laughed as he slid across the ice, picking up speed with his hands. He finally stopped at the large castle, admiring the architecture and beauty surrounding it. He sighed when he didn't hear anything else. Maybe it was just the wind. Maybe the stress of everything was just getting to him. But no. Suddenly he heard that same cry again, and gasped, flying off to the opposite end of the castle.

There he saw a beautiful little girl in the windowsill, with her hair as white as snow and her cheeks just as pale. She wore a pretty blue dress to match her head-band, with her hair placed in a neat braid that hung down to her shoulders. Despite her beauty however, he could sense much desperation in her heart , a black cloud covering anything bright or cheery. He felt sympathy for her. He didn't know what she was going through at this time, but all he wanted to do was help her. That was his center, after all, right?

Taking a deep breath, he gently stood on the perch, easing his hand on the window. It froze, and Elsa gasped in fright, thinking that it was her power. She collapsed onto the floor with a yelp, clutching her hand in fear.

"It's… it's getting stronger… w-w-why is it getting stronger?"

Jack raised his eyebrow, having no idea what she's talking about. Still, though, he shook his head, and tried a different approach. "Hey… don't be scared. What's the matter?"

She let out a gasp when she heard the whispery voice, curling up her hands. "Wh-who said that?! G-g-g-go away! I don't want to hurt you!"

He paused for a moment in shock. She heard him. She heard him without even believing. He didn't even know that could be possible. "You… you can really hear me?"

She nodded, desperately looking around for him. "I-I mean it, go away! I'll… I'll have my mommy call the guards on you!"

Jack had to laugh at that, as he hopped onto the floor, dragging the snow with him. "Come on, but that wouldn't be fun! I wouldn't be able to show you all the amazing things that I could do." To demonstrate, he formed a snowball in his hands, and started bouncing it up and down. Elsa's eyes grew wide as she saw this power. Slowly, she took a few steps towards him.

"You… can create snow too?"

He nodded, and threw it at her, causing her to giggle. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside when that noise reached his ears. "Oh, where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself yet. I'm Jack. Jack Frost."

Elsa smiled as she remembered the name now; her mother told her and Anna stories of the Guardians many times before the sisters went to bed. She loved them so much she really believed them to be true. But that was… that was before she almost… She shook her head at the memory, wiping her eyes free of tears. She smiled up at the Guardian, giving him a curtsey. "I'm Elsa. Princess of Arendelle."

He faked a gasp of surprise, placing his hand to his heart. "Oh, your highness! Forgive me for barging in at this ungodly hour. Is there anything I could do to make up for my fault?"

_You can LEAVE, _She thought, although a small side of her didn't want him to. She couldn't fathom why. She put her hand to her chin in pretend thought while Jack steadied himself on his staff. "Hmm… well, I guess a punishment is in order. My father always says that no one should get away scott-free."

Jack smirked, folding his arms now. "Hit me with your best shot."

Elsa for a second forgot why she was scared in the first place. Excited, she formed a snowball in her hands, and chucked it at Jack's shoulder. He wasn't fazed at all by it, and he laughed, knowing all too well where this could go.

"Alright, let's play!"

The young princess giggled and formed another snowball, only to be blocked by him again. He swooped down to get close to her, and pulled her into his arms. She screamed out in delight.

"Lemme go, lemme go!"

He shook his head, pushing open the door. "Hey, the fun just started! Why have a snowball fight inside when we have a whole world to explore?!"

As the two laughed and giggled, North and the other Guardians watched with perplexed expressions on their faces. The jolly man spoke up first.

"Well color me surprised." He chuckled, folding his arms.

"He… he actually did it." Bunnymund echoed, his mouth gaping in surprise. "And she doesn't even know we exist!"

North smirked and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Love works in mysterious ways, Bunny." The Sandman said nothing as per usual, but he couldn't help but smile along with the little girl as she and Jack played in their snow. Tooth, on the other hand, felt a pang of jealousy shot through her. She slouched in her seat. Why? Why would she feel like that over harmless play?

Elsa formed a giant wall to block any attacks Jack might throw at her, giggling at the guardian's frustration.

"You really think a block of ice is going to stop me?" He asked her, peeking around it to see her. "Ha-hah!" With a grunt, he made the wind blow her away from the fort. She let out a gasp of surprise; no one had ever seen through her before. Not even Anna, when she was old enough to play.

"Told you," He announced proudly, "I am a Guardian after all."

"Hey, I was supposed to punish you!" She exclaimed as she got up. Jack held out his hand for her.

"Sorry, your highness. I should've warned you how great and powerful my abilities were before you tried to test them." He answered back smartly. Elsa however, let her face fall as the cold wind became more blizzard-like than before. She was suddenly reminded why she had to be locked up in that room. Why no one knew of her. She was dangerous. And any false move, made right now, could ruin this friendship that was just beginning to happen. Sure, she liked Jack, but… she couldn't anymore. Even if he did know this kind of magic just like her. She's…. she's still a _monster. _

Frowning, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. "Yeah, you should've. Now. Take me back. I don't want to waste a second out here." All fun and games were gone now.

Jack was surprised by this change in behavior, and tried to reach out to her. "But… Elsa… w-we haven't even played for keeps, yet…"

She glared at him. "I-I don't care! You don't know what I went through and you never will!"

The blizzard around them didn't faze him at all. "You're just upset that you lost."

She was getting desperate. Guards would probably be coming at any second. "Ugh… just…. Leave!" Suddenly, he was blown away by a huge burst of snow, and he struggled to hold his balance with his staff. He could barely see her underneath everything. He desperately reached out to her.

"Elsa! ELSA, please, just listen to me! I may not know what happened but I want to help you! I—!" He rammed face first into the sleigh, with the Easter Bunny holding him down. He struggled to break free, struggled to get past the guards that were now trying to console the princess, but he couldn't.

"Hey, get off me! Bunny, I swear to you-!"

"Jack," He stated calmly. "Let her go. She's too far gone."

"Elsa…." He whimpered in return, not taking her eyes off of what is now just a small, blue dot in the distance. And quite possibly it's something she ever will be to him.

**Everything that happens after is pretty much cannon. God, I'm so depressing... **


	2. Chapter 2

**The story starts here. It gets a bit dark...**

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter two: Odd encounters, and constant questions _

_18 years later _

* * *

If there was one place in the Kingdom no one wanted to be, it was the cells. They were old, musty, and the occasional rat scurried through the floors, looking for any food the prisoners dropped by. The guards fared no better, even though they were living in luxury that the late Queen and King could manage.

They were placed there because of their impressive duties to the kingdom, though some questioned why every second of the day. You go mad. You become insane down there, and find the sound of your prisoners' wail became a beautiful sound. Oh, what they would give to see just a tiny patch of sunlight again…

One man rubbed his nose with the back of his hand as he walked back and forth, glancing at each stall he passed by. The prisoners were asleep at this hour, though one should always be on alert. He kept his posture, sleep refusing to shut his eyes since the dark became accustomed to him. Besides, he had nothing to look forward to the day after.

Aggravated, though he didn't want to show it, he ran a hand through his dark, almost pitch black hair. He was taller than most of the guards, and had a stronger built; because of this he was ordered to look after the more… abusive prisoners. Some would say he got lucky, to be thought of this highly, but he didn't like to think so.

"Are you alright, Sebastian?" A fellow guard asked him; he was probably on his way to the dorms.

The guard known as Sebastian shook his head, blinking his eyes to make sure he really was seeing his friend right. "Aye, I'm fine. You know how it is."

He smiled sympathetically, knowing that it's best to change the subject. While he regarded Sebastian like a brother, he realized that there were just some things you can't easily talk about. Everyone has their secrets. Instead, he nodded over to a cell a few doors down. "Did ya here about our new recruit? People tell me he tried to kill the Queen's daughter—Elsa, I think her name is—all because he wanted her throne."

Sebastian felt his hands clench up. "What kind of sick bastard would do that?"

"Wanna know what else, though? She possesses these powers—incredibly amazing powers that could create snow and nearly freeze all of Arendelle. I saw it with my own eyes. It's why they had to shut the gates all those years." He threw his hands up in defeat, "I'm just mad that people became scared over her. I mean, you gotta take in perspective what's going on in her shoes, right? 'Prince' Hans took advantage of that."

At the mention of the Prince, Sebastian raised a skeptical eyebrow. Hans… so that's why he sounds so familiar. He guarded his dorm in his kingdom for a few years before he was stationed in Arendelle. He didn't have to talk with him, but from what he saw the prince was snobby, disrespectful, and the least liked out of his twelve brothers. He only wanted a room of his own that was for certain, and had his eyes on not only Elsa, but Princess Anna as well.

_Well, I havta give the man credit for trying to shag both of them, _Sebastian thought, though he still kept his terrible opinion on him. He nodded gratefully to the other guard. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll keep my eye out if he tries to escape."

"He's not strong, but he's manipulative. Be careful." He only said in return, and nodded before walking past him.

Sebastian stared after for a while until he felt a cold wind brush him aside, and he gripped his sword tighter. Slowly, carefully, he didn't see the black dust escaping the window as he continued to make his rounds. Just like any other day.

0o0o0o0o0o

_**Reindeers are better than people **_

_**Sven, don't you think that's true? **_

Kristoff chuckled as he played on his banjo, ready to spend the night with his wife. His old friend nodded, and gave him a nudge.

**_"Yeah, people will beat you and curse you and cheat you"_**

**_"Everyone's bad, except you."_**

"You know it, buddy." He chuckled, nuzzling him. He was about to continue when he heard a scream across the hall, but he shrugged, as did Sven.

**_But people smell better than reindeers  
Sven, don't you think I'm right?_**

**_"That's once again true, for all except you." _**

**_You got it. Let's call it a night... _**

**_"Good night." _**

**_Don't let the frostbite, bi-_**

Sven curled up in his bed, and Kristoff was about to sing the last verse when the barn doors slammed open. He let out a yelp, tumbling backwards onto Sven.

"Gah! Why is it that every time I try to go to sleep, someone interrupts me?!"

The woman standing in front of him happened to be Queen Elsa, and she shook her head at him. Fighting back a giggle of her own, she pointed into the hallway. "Kristoff, explain to me why your wife is eating up all the peanut butter in the kitchen?"

He leaned against Sven to help him up, giving her an odd look. "She's _what?_" If it's one food that Anna dislikes, it's that gooey stuff. Not only that, she should be asleep by now. He tried asking her what was wrong, but either Anna had no clue, or that she's hiding something from him. The couple had dated for a year after the events when her sister found freedom in her Ice Palace, and married in the winter of the following. They took all the time in the world they needed; after all, love takes time to blossom.

Elsa took a deep breath. "Anna's been acting strange lately, and I need you to go to her."

Kristoff mumbled to himself as he got up and nodded. "Alright, alright," He smiled at his sleeping reindeer. "G'night buddy."

The two walked down the long hallways, smiling at any servant who walked past. Since the gates were opened, anyone was able to check the place out, making it livelier than before. It was difficult to get used to for the Queen, considering she had to be locked up in her room all her life. But it's not like she missed it.

Elsa caught Kristoff's expression from the corner of her eye, and mentally sighed. He was lucky. He married a beautiful bride, and was content with his life. He didn't have to hold any purpose. He didn't have any challenges he needed to overcome. She was… she couldn't help but feel _jealous. _It's been so long since she'd been able to relax. The constant fear gnawing at her heart took up most of her time; that is… until she met… Jack. The man who showed her compassion even when she pushed him away; and even if he stayed for less than an hour, she couldn't forget anything about him.

Elsa paused in her step. Where the hell did that come from? She hadn't thought about him in years. No… she couldn't be… was she actually missing him? Could she really be lonely? Even if she was able to meet him somehow, someway, would he still respect her in the same way he did then?

Kristoff was only a few feet away when he noticed her, and waved his hand in front of her face. "Elsa? You okay, there?"

"Huh?" She mumbled, putting her hands to her face. "Oh, um, yes I'm fine."

Kristoff chuckled at his sister-in-law. "Come on, you and I both know that's not true. Who were you thinking about? My grandpappy says that whenever you're deep in thought, you think about someone you love. Was it one of the suitors we showed you?" He clasped his hands in excitement, "Oh! Oh, it was Aaron, I bet!"

Elsa gave him a dubious look, shaking her head in frustration. "What? No! He was the worst of them! He wouldn't keep his elbows off the table, and picked his nose in front of me. It was _disgusting." _

"Hey, I do it sometimes." He laughed, ignoring the peeved expression on Elsa's face. He still listed off the potential knights. "Okay, what about Rolfe?"

"Too tall for my taste, I told you."

"Devon?"

"You were definitely high when you picked that one."

"Caspian?"

"Charming, but, again, I don't like men who are full of themselves."

"He had a wicked sense of humor."

Elsa gritted her teeth. "He made fun of my hair! I was born with this color; the idiot thought I painted it!"

Kristoff held up his hands in defeat. They could go at this for hours, and never come to a conclusion. The reason he and Anna held that event was so Elsa could meet some people, and perhaps her true love, but she wouldn't have any of it. Elsa sighed, and her eyes became glassy, but she wouldn't show her face.

"I…. I was thinking of someone," She muttered after some silence, "But you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Now it was his turn to give her a dubious look, and he chuckled slightly. "Please, I was raised by trolls and my best friend is a reindeer. I can handle whatever you have to tell me."

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by an annoyed groan from her servants.

"Princess Anna! That's the last one! We need those for breakfast tomorrow morning!"

"Come on, _I'm __**hungry!"**_ She exclaimed in return, causing Kristoff and Elsa to glance at each other.

"We gave you a full course meal for dinner. Surely, you could've eaten something then!"

Elsa slapped her head as she walked into the kitchen, meeting a distressed Anna clutching the cup of peanut butter in her hands. The servant had a look of frustration on her face, her big nose scrunched up in annoyance. No one else was in there at this hour, save for the cleaning service. They couldn't do anything to help the situation, as they just laughed at the lady's misfortune.

Kristoff held up his hands, walking in the center of them. "Anna, come on, give me that. You've had enough."

She frowned at him, as if debating her options. _Should I run with it? I'm faster than anyone here… _She giggled at how that possibility could play out, but stopped when she started getting odd looks from those around her. She sighed, and shoved the tasty snack into Kristoff's chest. He grunted, struggling to hold it steady.

Elsa shook her head at her crazy sister. "Eat any more of those and you'll get sick. What's going on with you, Anna? You've been acting up since that little stunt you two pulled in an effort to find me a… well, you know."

"I… u-um….nothing! Nothing's wrong! Perfectly fine, healthy as a peach, even!" She forced a laugh, ignoring the aching pain in her stomach.

"That's an odd metaphor," The servant mumbled as she walked away, silently thanking the Queen and Prince for stepping in. Elsa chuckled and nodded her off.

"Anna…" Kristoff groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Okay, it's obvious we're all tired; we'll talk about this in the morning. Capishe?" He directed this at Elsa too, and she sighed, knowing that their previous conversation wasn't over yet either.

Both girls nodded, and the cleaning service went back to whatever they were doing. Elsa was the one to announce that she was leaving first, and silently walked down the halls to her bedroom. All the while, her mind kept on buzzing with thoughts about Jack, wondering where he was, if he was doing well… and about that odd encounter with her sister. She sighed as she climbed into bed, and shut her eyes. She didn't get any sleep that night at all, though.

**Oh, Kristoff. x3 **


	3. Chapter 3

**Wowza, over ten follows and seven faves? I can't remember the last time my fics became so popular... *thoughtfully stares off into the distance* **

**_Kristoff:_ She means thank you. **

**_Anna:_ Nooo... really? **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter three: Manny knows best_

* * *

Jack sighed as he leaned against his staff, unaware of the pelting rain dripping down his shoulders. He didn't know how long he was out here for, or what was his purpose in the first place. All that he remembered was leaving the happy smiling faces of the guardians as they were having dinner, excusing himself to go off on his own.

And now, here he was, staring at the Man in The Moon.

"Why do I feel… so lonely?" He asked the god, his hand gripping the tip of his staff. "I-I've never… been this way before."

He'd gotten close with Tooth ever since the fall of Pitch, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to hold the same affections as she did. He didn't know why. And she didn't either, leaving him in the dust. Their friendship has been rocky after that, but North assured him that it'll pass. How long will it be till then, though? He had to wonder.

Jack felt his head ache as it was getting too much for him, and cried out to the moon. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?!"

In his workshop, the elder guardian sighed as he looked up from a project. He'd heard the scream from a mile away, and shared a look with Bunnymund. Sandy rolled his eyes, as if he was saying that Jack was overreacting about his predicament…. whatever it was, that is.

"He's been like that since his fall out with Tooth," Bunnymund groaned, shaking his head. "It's driving me insane, the annoying bloke."

North blew a raspberry at him, pointing a finger. "Ah, leave 'em alone. Heartbreak is something no one could get over…. I should know."

"But, as far as we were told, he didn't have any affection at all for Tooth. So he shouldn't be upset over that. There's something else going on here that we don't know about."

"Well, he doesn't know it himself either!" He snapped, rising up from his chair. "If you would quit complainin' about it and go _talk_ to him, maybe the nagging will stop ya twit."

"Why me? Why does it always have to be me?! Oh, yeah, sure put the blame on The Easter Bunny for everything." Bunnymund scoffed, rolling his eyes. "You know, I'm really starting to get pissed off with yo—"

"I'm not _'putting the blame on you' _I'm suggesting that you should go to talk with him," North empathized, getting frustrated by the second.

Sandy slapped his head and mentally groaned. _With the way they argue like this, you'd think they're lovers, _his eyes casted around the room in an effort to find something to distract the guardians to shut them up. However, he looked up at Manny to see something very surprising. The moon was shining brighter than before, even though it was surrounded by clouds due to the intense rainstorm. It was as if the god was trying to tell them something, or rather someone that was the answer to everything all along. He watched as the light transcended onto the crystal, creating a gleam that bounced off towards the window. The guardian felt a familiar sense of _de' 'ja vu_, as he remembered the time when they first learned about Jack.

His eyes grew wide with shock as he now desperately tried to find something to get their attention, but unfortunately all the elves were in bed at this hour. He looked across North's tools for a possible item, resulting in nothing. The ancient artifact became higher and higher, causing immense worry to streak across his face.

_What do I do, what do I DO? _He then saw an old party favor that made noise on the table beside him, and he got an idea. A little light bulb formed on top of his head. With a smirk, he used his magic to create an even larger golden item on top of it, and pressed his lips against the favor. He took a deep breath and blew as hard as he could, practically alerting the entire house up.

"Sandy, what was that for?! Aye, I can't get rid of this ringing in my ears." North complained, and Bunnymund scratched his with his left foot. The Sandman probably slapped his head for the umpteenth time that day, and with a flat look, pointed to what Manny has done.

Finally, North's eyes grew wide when he saw what was before him. "I can't believe it! Why didn't we ask Manny sooner? Sandy, why didn't ye tell us he was showing somethin', eh?"

"_What?"_ Bunnymund questioned, scrunching up his nose. He still couldn't hear right.

The guardian left the room with an annoyed huff.

North chuckled and squinted at the image in the crystal that represented a beautiful woman; her hair was platinum blond, almost white, and her baby blue eyes matched her dress. She looked familiar to him, but he couldn't place his finger on why or how Manny could know about her.

"You've got to be kidding me," the Easter Bunny snorts, speaking louder than he normally does. "Her?! The Queen of Arendelle, who nearly froze the entire kingdom? Yeah, excellent decision, Manny." He gave a thumbs up to the moon.

"No, no, no, wait a minute…" North chided him, and started to walk around in a circle.

Bunnymund grabbed his ears. "You can't be serious about this! Yeah, she has powers just like 'em, but she's a mortal! I-It wouldn't work out! There's no chance!"

He paused in his step and turned to glare at him, "You remember what I said when they first met, ya? She didn't have to know about us, or believe in him. She already loved him the moment they laid eyes on each other; Manny predicted it from the beginning. I don't know how this'll be, but they'll figure something out. Her powers become stronger with happiness and love; Jack is the only one who could really teach her that. And I'll make sure that _nothing_ comes between them. Are you following me?"

Feeling intimidated, Bunnymund gulped and nodded. "Y-yes sir," He muttered in his thick Australian accent.

Within seconds North was back to his normal self. "Da!" He turned to the moon, "Thank you, Manny. Guide him safe during his journey, would you?" The wind stopped howling, and moonbeams draped across the ceiling, as if replying in kind to his question. Even the rain let up a little, causing North to breath out a sigh of relief.

The guardian in question burst through the doors right then, to which Bunnymund groaned and scratched his ears. "Hey, quit it with the noise, frostbite."

"I'm going to bed." Jack muttered in response, his sweater dripping wet from the rain. He walked past both of them without any hint of recognition. North sighed at the attitude he was given, running a hand through his messy hair as the boy trudged to his bedroom. He didn't say anything and just nodded to Bunnymund before going back to his work. They may not fully agree with each other, but one thing was for certain: Jack and Elsa needed to meet. Before the entire place becomes mad.

* * *

"_Y-you're… you're gorgeous, Elsa," The man on top of her breathed, giving her kisses down her neck. She smiled as she felt warm by his touch, even though their bodies were meant to be cold. She reached out to touch his face and he blushed shyly. _

"_Oh, Jack," She sighed, "I don't deserve you, I-I never did." _

_He shook his head at her, annoyed at why she keeps insisting that. "No, Elsa, stop that. The past is in the past, now, remember? I'm here, with you." _

"_B-but I was so cruel to you… to everyone. I-I can't believe I—" Her woes were cut off as Jack kissed her again, much more passionately than before. _

"_You need to stop being so hard on yourself. It'll be like all my lessons on fun are for nothing." The two shared a chuckle at that. He then hesitated, staring at her with curiosity. "M-may I?" _

_Elsa, already feeling aroused with him just by her, nodded silently. She closed her eyes as she could feel his lips caress her body once again, his hands pulling down one of the sleeves on her shirt…. _

Elsa groggily awoke to the rain pelting against her window. She stayed there staring at the ceiling for the longest time, unsure of what to make of her dream. There it was again… that longing feeling. She slowly sat up, bringing her shaking hands to her face. She felt salty sweat pouring down her cheeks and looked at the mirror, only to find out that she was crying.

"What's wrong with me?" She sighed, wiping her eyes to get rid of them. They wouldn't go away.

"Is her highness alright?" A familiar voice asked outside her door, knocking several time.

Elsa tried to keep a composed attitude best she could, but her voice came out shaky and unreasonable. "Yes… just, give me a few minutes Lucia. Is breakfast ready?"

"We just set the table. I'm going to wake up the Prince and Princess now, if that's okay with you." Lucia suggested calmly.

"Of course, I'll see you in a little while." Elsa called her off, and the servant nodded, her feet clanking against the wooden floors.

The Queen yawned and shook her head, slowly making her way towards her dresser. _My heart aches so much for him now… just to hear him again, I don't know how much longer I could take of this. _She carefully placed her hands firm against the dresser, shutting her eyes. _But…. He's a Guardian. He has other duties. He's probably forgotten of me. It's been over a decade since we last met. _Her heart began to race as she thought of another puzzling question. _If that is so… then WHY in the name of my father do I remember him? _

Unknown to her, frost began to form due to the pressure she was giving the wood. Elsa wiped away a tear that she didn't miss and glanced down, gasping at the sight that she created. Her entire dresser was frozen in ice. She scrunched her nose up in frustration. _You're thinking about this too hard, Elsa… Focus on today, for now… try and… try to forget. _

With another sigh, she struggled getting the draws open for a good half hour that morning.

0o0o0o0o0o

"How many kids do you want?"

Needless to say, that wasn't what Kristoff expected to wake up to. He stared at Anna with a mixture of confusion and awe, noticing the honey glow that cascaded off of her cheeks. She looked beautiful this morning, just as she always did, but somehow… this was a different. He couldn't really place if he liked it or not.

He licked his lips, trying to formulate something to respond. He chose something extremely smart then.

"Huh?"

Anna's face became a bright red and she immediately backtrack her sentence. "I-I mean, not that I _am_ pregnant, that'd be really strange, pfft, can you picture me as a mother? I-I-I'm just saying, when we do… h-have you… ever… thought about it?"

Kristoff gave her a closed smile as he took a piece of hair out of her eyes. Her beautiful strawberry locks were a complete mess, but Kristoff adored this look on her. "I… I guess I have, sometimes. I've grown up with a pretty big family… I just thought you… weren't ready for one."

"O-oh," Anna murmured, resting her face on her husband's chest. She waited for his answer.

"I can picture a little girl… with blond hair, and your eyes…. And… and a baby boy just like you," He chuckled, staring at the ceiling. "Olaf would be so happy. Think he'd be a great babysitter? He'd probably keep asking us to have more kids."

Anna giggled at that, knowing how the snowman loves playing with the kingdom's children whenever they come to visit. She stole a glance at him, relieved to see that there was a smile on his face. "Yeah… I think… three would be perfect for us. The Royal line has to continue, you know."

"What if you have twins? Were there any in your distant family?" He chuckled, and Anna punched his shoulder.

"Oh, god Kristoff. Don't even start."

"What? Sure they'd be a pain, but this place would be a lot more interesting with mini Anna's running around." He smirked, causing his wife to frown at him.

"What makes you think that they'll take after me?! You're just as bad!" She laughed, shaking her head in bewilderment.

He shrugged, "Just a hunch. I don't try to marry a man I first meet."

Anna froze for a second then, eyes narrowing at the thought of Hans. Normally she wouldn't get upset over this whenever people tease her, but she felt her eyes glisten and she hid her face from him. "…I was locked up in this place my whole life, Kristoff. I didn't know any better… y-you were even there…"

He mentally groaned, cursing himself at the way he acted. He should know by now not to bring that up. He shook his head. _No._ History won't repeat itself. He'll make sure that his future kids would have to go through what he and Anna had to. Carefully, he wiped away Anna's tear and kissed her nose.

"You're right, honey. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that," He placed his hand underneath her chin and she looked up at him, a frown dampening her beautiful features. "Forgive me?"

Anna let out an aggravated sigh and nodded. "Yes… I-_**I'm**_ sorry. I shouldn't have reacted like that. I just…" _Why am I so afraid to tell him? He's already proven that he wants to start a family with me… He isn't Hans… _

Kristoff kissed her cheek, caressing her shoulder gently. "It's okay. I love you, Anna."

She snapped out of her thoughts and smiled. "I love you too…"

There was a knock at the door then. "Breakfast is ready, Princess Anna and Prince Kristoff. Queen Elsa had just blessed the food."

"Thanks, Lucia!" Anna exclaimed, "We'll come by soon…"

"I'll let her know. You're welcome, your highness." The servant left them alone, and Kristoff nodded towards the door.

"You ready?" He asked her, getting up.

She yawned, fiddling with the straps on her nightdress. "I guess I have to be."

**Sheesh, Elsa really needs help... because she's _FROZEN!_ **

**heh, heh, get it...? because... okay, I'll stop. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Rapunzel and Eugene make a cameo appearance, so it's not _exactly_ a cross-over with _Tangled._ They might come in again later on, but... I just have to figure out why at this point. :p **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter four:_ _Almost_ _  
_

* * *

Jack tried to go to sleep that night. He really did. But something was keeping him up, as if he had some unfinished business that needed to be taken care of. He groaned and tossed in his slumber, eyes fluttering open and closed.

Next door to him, Bunnymund had enough of his complaints. He grumbled to himself as he slammed open his door, and kicked Jack's open.

"For the love of Manny, shut up will you?!" He shoved off the covers. "Honestly, your attitude lately is really ticking me off. All of this moping, and groping, and questioning your own destiny—really, who does that?"

Jack let out a girlish scream and shot up onto the ceiling, terrified at the sudden noise. For a moment Bunnymund forgot why he was upset and started to chuckle, finding Jack's reaction hilarious. "Heh, you scream like a girl!"

The spirit of winter held his hand to his heart and took a few moments to calm down before he glared at him. "What the heck was that for? I-I was trying to _sleep!"_

"Well, you should've thought before you kept on pissing me off with your annoying grumblings of "'oh, Elsa, Elsa, Elsa.'"

"E-elsa…?" Jack mumbled weakly, the name sent chills down his spine.

Bunnymund nodded. "Go outside and take a walk or somethin'. Don't come back until you're… back to yourself, I guess." He grunted and fixed his weaponry on his shoulder before hopping off. Jack smiled at his old friend. Even though he had an odd way of showing it, Bunnymund loved Jack like a brother. When the bloke didn't piss him off, that is.

"Hey… Bunny…"

"Krikey, what do you want _now?"_ He turned around.

"Thanks. I know I haven't been myself lately, and…. I owe all of you an explanation. I'll give you one, I promise, just… later."

Bunnymund looked surprised by that for a few seconds, before he smirked, and said, "Take all the time in the world mate."

Now, Jack was finally out the door, away from The North, and flying under the moon. He let out a laugh as he felt all the stress from before break free, all the worries he had, and he just let them go. He didn't know where he was headed, but he trusted the wind to guide him safely. For all he knew, it was going to be such a long journey.

0o0o0o0o0o

"Ribbons?"

"Check."

"Snow Globes?"

"Ohh, pretty…"

"Olaf."

"U-um, check."

"Ice sculpture of the castle?"

"Check aaaaand, check."

He giggled, nodding over to the masterpiece in the corner. Elsa shook her head at him. They had been preparing for the party for at least an hour, and the guests were waiting just outside the door.

"Alright. Chocolate fondue?"

"Uhh… check… I… guess?"

The Snow Queen glanced up from her clipboard and looked up to see her little sister stuffing her mouth into the chocolaty goodness. Kristoff was nowhere to be seen, as he was bringing his family. So she was on her own this time.

"_Anna!"_ She exclaimed, marching over to her.

Olaf nervously laughed and pointed towards the kitchen. "I'm just gunna go see how the chefs are doing… s-see you later!"

"I-I wasn't eating the deserts!" She gasped, backing away from it. Elsa folded her arms.

"Drop the candy. I know it's in your hands."

"You can't prove anything." Anna countered, shoving her hand into the air. Which happened to be the same one that held the chocolate. "Okay… maybe you could."

Elsa gave her a look that said, 'seriously?' and held out her hand. "Anna, that's for the guests."

"I can't help myself! Iiiiiii…. I'm… uhh… I'm the official taste tester. Lucia's orders. Can't ignore a servant's wishes." She stated firmly, backing up against the wall.

Elsa slapped her head and groaned, "Anna, please stop hiding. If anybody should know how painful it's me… the guests are already here and Kristoff should be coming to. _What are you so afraid of?"_ She pleaded, almost mimicking how things went down all those years ago. Anna put her hand to her stomach, tears beginning to form in her eyes as she too was thinking the same thing. She was about to respond, about to tell her the secret that she's been keeping for what felt like such a long time, until a servant exclaimed the arrival of the Prince.

"Let's open up the gates!"

"Party time!" Olaf cried from the kitchen, and took a little child's hand from the crowd that began to bustle in.

Elsa sighed, giving one last longing look to her sister before she shook her head. Anna hid her face in her hair as she walked away, greeting the guests warmly as if nothing ever happened. The princess moaned and slid onto the floor, cupping her hands in her face. "I-I'm sorry…" She mumbled to her stomach, "I just… I can't."

Jack Frost laughed as the wind carried him over the sea, and he smiled at the boats passing by. Every time a cruise ship past by, he would run on top of the railings, which excited most of the children who could see him. He winked at them and moved on, for he couldn't stay too long. Then, there would be some moments where nothing was happening at all, and he could just stare at the beautiful ocean underneath him.

It wasn't until nightfall hit once more when he reached a familiar kingdom, and the wind stopped taking control. Jack carefully landed onto a roof and smirked up at Manny, who created a brilliant aurora across the sky in turn. He wished him luck.

"I'm gonna need it," He muttered, and hopped over to the next roof.

He noticed that many people in this kingdom were out at this hour; they were all heading to the huge castle a few feet away. Memories scratched the surface of his mind once again, which made Jack frown. He really was here all those years ago. Why did he ever forget?

A young couple was chatting eagerly about the princesses nearby, so he flew low to hear them out.

"Oh, Eugene, I can't wait to see Queen Elsa again! The poor girl has been through too much… I'm so glad that things have worked out! Thank you so much for taking me to their party…" The female exclaimed, her long, flowing brown hair danced in the wind.

"Again… I'm… sorry our honeymoon was cut short. What with the kingdom frozen in ice and everything…" Eugene –Jack snickered at the name- blushed and held his grip even tighter on his wife.

She shook her head, "It was nothing we couldn't control, honey. Remember way back when Gothel took care of me? I-I couldn't… escape from that…"

"Yeah, but your knight in shining armor stole you away. Completely different circumstances, Blondie." Eugene assured her, causing her to giggle.

"'Night in shining armor'?"

"Hey, a guy can dream."

Jack shared a laugh with them, flying over the rooftops. _Yeah, but a Guardian is so much better. Standing around and guarding things all day? Who'd want to do THAT? _

Now, he could see the lights and the noise from the castle. Everyone was in such high spirits, so joyful, causing Jack to feel whole again. He missed seeing parties like these. Suddenly, he caught sight of a very tall, beautiful woman in the center of the room. He couldn't see her properly from the angle he was in, so he jumped to find a better window that could.

He didn't know what the heck he was doing. All he knew was that he had to see her, as if she was the way to solve this mystery of his heart. He caught sight of a stained window that was close to the lower level of the room, and he grinned, flying over to lean against it.

_Who… who IS SHE? _Jack wondered, completely allured by this woman. As he gazed at her, his hand slipped on the glass, causing the door to slam open. A servant struggled to shut it and The Queen turned around to look, for she could've sworn someone was there. But Jack, afraid of getting caught so soon, had hid underneath the window sill. _That was… too close, _He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and quickly glanced at the party again.

"Anna? What are you doing here all alone, dear?" The mother troll asked, placing her hand on her knee. Kristoff and his family had just arrived only moments ago, and immediately the elder rushed to find her daughter-in-law.

The princess didn't say anything and continued to cry, hugging her shoulders.

"Did Kristoff say something to you? I'll find that man and kill 'em! No one hurts my daughter's feelings!"

Anna gasped and grabbed her hands before the troll could move away. "N-no! No! He… he didn't do anything… w-w-well… I mean, he did, kinda, but… um…" She trailed off, hiding under the mother's stern gaze. She stared at her for the longest time, before she seemed to catch her drift, and her eyes grew so wide they looked like they were about to pop out of her head. She looked to Anna's stomach, then back to Anna, then back to her stomach again. "Y-yeah…"

"**KRISTOFF!"** Mama exclaimed, rolling over to him.

_Oh no… what did I do? _Both Anna and her husband thought, staring in horror at the sight that was about to unfold. "Kristoff, why aren't you with your wife at this moment?"

He gave her a flat look. "Mama, she's been pushing me away. All she does is eat, complain, and eat again! I'm trying to help her out but she just won't let me in!"

"Well a woman's gotta do that when she's feeding for two!" She snapped, pointing a finger. "I can't believe you'd be so oblivious as to not notice."

One of the male trolls chuckled, "Not your greatest moments, buddy."

_Feeding for… two? _"Wait, what?" _So does that mean… th-that Anna's…! _

A younger female troll helped Anna up onto her feet, giggling all the while. She grinned sheepishly at him, fiddling with her fingers nervously. "I, um… I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you this morning, Kris… but… I-I just wanted to make sure." She walked over to him closer, feeling more confident now as she waved a hand over his frozen face. "K-kristoff?" People started to stare at the scene.

_All those signs… I can't believe I missed them! She's having a baby… MY baby… I'm gonna… I'm gonna be a DAD. Wow… _He hesitated. "I'm gonna be a dad?" Anna nodded slowly, looking down at the floor. He didn't say anything after that for a while. Then, he started to laugh. He laughed so much that tears were coming out of his eyes, alerting the Queen and everyone near her. He said it once more, just to be sure of it himself. "I'M GONNA BE A DAD!" He exclaimed with mirth, and spun Anna in the air. "W-we're going to start a family, Anna!"

Anna was just so relieved he took the news well, so emotionally exhausted, that she burst out laughing along with him, and cried into his chest. People around them started to cheer, but they didn't notice.

Elsa sighed wistfully at the sight before her before she silently slipped away from the party, and ran out into the courtyard. Jack caught this from the windowsill and leapt onto the floor. He hid behind a tree that was nearby and frowned at the now sobbing Queen, unsure of how to comfort her. For how do you thaw something that's frozen, when you are yourself?

* * *

**Am I moving too fast with this? 0.o **


	5. Chapter 5

**It was really hard to take this chapter seriously without me giggling every second. You'll... you'll know why. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter five: I see you_

* * *

"_Mommy, mommy, tell us another story!" Four year old Anna exclaimed, bouncing up and down on her bed. Elsa giggled and nodded eagerly, not ready to go to sleep either._

_The Queen gave her children a flat look. "I already told you three. I'm fresh out of ideas." _

_Anna and Elsa glanced at each other for a few moments before flashing the puppy-dog eyes at her. They saw through her lie. "Pleeeeaaaase?" _

_She sighed, and giggled at them, knowing all too well that she can't win this particular battle. "Oh, alright. How about this time you can choose a story? And then I'll take it up from there."  
_

"_Ohh! Oh! Tell us about Beauty and the Beast! How she bravely stood up against the mean crowd and saved her true love! That's my favorite!" Anna suggested, waving her arms in the air as she flopped onto the bed. _

_Elsa pouted, "That's __**boring.**__ Can you please tell us about Jack Frost again, mommy?" _

_The Queen smiled at her daughter, taking her on her lap. "Hmm… he was the boy who could create snow, just like you, wasn't he?" She giggled, rubbing her nose. _

"_Yeah! What happened after he realized he could be a guardian?" _

_Anna slapped her head in frustration. "But, mommy! I wanna hear about Beauty and the Beast!" _

_The queen smiled and kissed her youngest daughter's cheek. "I'll tell you about them tomorrow, okay?" _

"_Okay…" _

_The two sisters silently listened as the story dragged on, interrupting certain moments every now and then. _

"_Because Jack saved his sister, The Man in the Moon chose him to lead the other guardians: North, Tooth, and Bunnymund. Together, the four were able to defeat Pitch with the help of the children who fully believed. It was a long, challenging battle, but with The Sandman back, they were able to triumph over fear. I can't imagine what it must've felt like for Jack for he couldn't be seen all those years…"  
_

"—_YAY! 'Cause everyone was all 'pow-pow-pow'! A-and Santa Clause was able his magic sleigh! And the Easter Bunny became all big again!"  
_

"_One day, I'm going to marry Jack. I'm going to find him and we're going to meet each other and live happily ever after!" Elsa declared, ignoring the confused look on her sister's face. _

"_But, Elsa, a prince sounds much more romantic! All of them have magical horses!" Anna chided, folding her arms. _

_The mother couldn't help but smile at her daughter's goal; she didn't have the heart to tell the child that he was nothing more than a fable, a story told to calm children's nightmares. She worried that Elsa would become caught up in this romance she conjured, and refused to marry any of the suitors when she got older. But… that's a bridge I'll cross when I get there, she reasoned with herself, and picked up Anna in her arms. _

"_That's enough story-time for now, girls. It's past your bedtime." _

_Elsa pouted at her, "Can't you stay for a few more minutes?" _

_The Queen shook her head. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I have duties I need to attend to once I put Anna to bed. Try to go to sleep." She reasoned with her, kissing her forehead. _

"_Okay, mommy…." As the Queen was about to leave the room, thinking that Elsa was all tucked into bed, she heard a small voice speak her name once more. "Hey… mommy… if I ever do meet Jack… do you think that… he'd like my powers? Do you think he'd train me, to become just as amazing as him?" _

_That question took her by surprise, to say the least. Not many people knew of her extraordinary ability, and her husband for some reason wanted to keep it that way. However the Queen hated being rational, so she turned to smile at her. "I'm sure of it, my little snow angel. A princess needs to have fun every now and then."  
_

_Elsa giggled, blushing under the covers. "O-okay, mommy. Goodnight." _

"_Goodnight. Don't let the frostbite bite." _

_0o0o0o0o0o_

_He paused for a moment in shock. She heard him. She heard him without even believing. He didn't even know that could be possible. "You… you can really hear me?" _

_She nodded, desperately looking around for him. "I-I mean it, go away! I'll… I'll have my mommy call the guards on you!" _

_Jack had to laugh at that, as he hopped onto the floor, dragging the snow with him. "Come on, but that wouldn't be fun! I wouldn't be able to show you all the amazing things that I could do." To demonstrate, he formed a snowball in his hands, and started bouncing it up and down. Elsa's eyes grew wide as she saw this power. Slowly, she took a few steps towards him. _

"_You… can create snow too?" _

_He nodded, and threw it at her, causing her to giggle. He felt all warm and fuzzy inside when that noise reached his ears. "Oh, where are my manners? I didn't even introduce myself yet. I'm Jack. Jack Frost." _

_Elsa smiled as she remembered the name now; her mother told her and Anna stories of the Guardians many times before the sisters went to bed. She loved them so much she really believed them to be true. But that was… that was before she almost… She shook her head at the memory, wiping her eyes free of tears. She smiled up at the Guardian, giving him a curtsey. "I'm Elsa. Princess of Arendale."_

0o0o0o0oo

"Elsa…" Jack breathed, rubbing his forehead. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. He didn't like the way she cried out in pain, the way she had so much emotional trauma no one should've gone through. Everything made so much sense now. Why Manny led him here. Comforting her would be a hard thing to swallow, but he'd do whatever he can. He had to. He must.

He barely took a step forward when he stepped on a twig, alerting the Queen's ears. She gasped and out of fear and froze the ground where he was, creating pillars of ice to block his way. She controlled herself best she could as she stormed over to him, a furious look on her face.

"Peace, peace, I-I come in peace!" He screamed, struggling to break free. He tried to reach for his staff, but it was blown a mile away.

"Who do you think you are, spying on a Queen when she's at her worst hour?" Elsa demanded, roughly placing her hands on the ice by his neck.

"Y-you just looked upset and I wanted to comfort you!" He exclaimed, feeling an odd wave of de' 'ja vu.

"I'll call the guards," She snapped back, making the ice higher.

Jack laughed despite himself. "Won't work. I have my reasons." He said with a mischievous smirk.

Elsa stared at the man for a long time and something flashed in her eyes that sent hope to Jack, but it was gone within the second. "Let me ask again. Who are you?" _  
_

The guardian of fun frowned mournfully at her. "You… you really don't remember me?"

She gasped and took a couple steps away from him, wiping away unwanted tears. Snow began to fall around them, but neither paid any attention. Taking this as an okay signal to continue, he licked his lips. "I… you were crying, and… I saw you by your window. I-I tried to reach out you, even though you pushed me away… I was just… so… surprised that you had the same abilities as me. I couldn't even believe it myself at first."

Elsa put her hands to her forehead, tears streaming down her cheeks. Of course she remembered. She always will. She just couldn't believe that this was actually real.

"And then you… you pushed me away again. I-I tried reaching out to you, when you were in your Ice Palace, but you were so far gone that I couldn't be seen again. Elsa, being alone and invisible isn't the answer to anything. I… I was scared. I thought I would never be able to reach out to you again…. And for some time after that, I forgot altogether. I…. I'm so sorry, Elsa. I'm sorry I even reached out to you in the first place. If you want, you can release me, and I'll never set foot in Arendelle ever again."

No. Both of them knew those words were nothing more than a ploy, but they had to be said. For a long time, two pairs of crystal-like eyes stared at each other, ignoring the joyous sounds of the party behind them, and the midsummer night among their icy hearts. Finally, Elsa was able to regain her thoughts, and shook her head.

"Don't say that…"

"What?" The guardian asked, perturbed. "_I'm _that tried to help out when I really shouldn't have. I always make a mess of things. It's alrig—"

"Yeah, well, I'm the one you pushed you away! Stop blaming yourself for my fault, Jack!" Her voice bellowed, creating angry snow fluttering by.

"Elsa…" He soothed, struggling to break free over the growing ice. He needed his staff.

"For all my life I wept about how I'm the only one of my kin… and then I met you and I pushed that chance away. Just please, Jack, please stop blaming yourself and give me a second chance. I just… there's so much fear." She whimpered her voice cracking. "I'm sorry…"

Jack chuckled only slightly. "It's… it's okay, Elsa. Could you just… uh, let me go first? I need to… get my staff."

Elsa blinked, just now noticing what she's taken to extreme measures. She blushed shyly, and nodded, unfreezing the ice to let him free. "Again, sorry for that,"

He grunted and tumbled to the ground, laughing when he collapsed ace first into the snow. Sweet, sweet, pillowy snow. "Heh, don't mention it. The cold never bothered me anyway." He added with a smirk, causing the Queen to raise her eyes a little. It seemed that by just being next to him, talking with him again, she felt so much better. She didn't know what to make of it. But she didn't question it, either.

Jack breathed out a sigh of relief as he flew over to get his staff, not bothering to hide his mirth. Elsa smiled at the scene before her, finally letting her shoulders relax. They've been so sore lately.

"So, now that I'm here," Jack began, flying over to her so that he could meet her at eye-level. He leaned his head against his item. "Can I re-introduce myself?"

Elsa frowned. "Why? I already know who you are. Mother used to tell my sister and me stories all the time."

He shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "…the first time we met… you sorta threatened to call the guards, and now you froze me in ice. It's… I'm not sorry for saying this, but it's pretty awkward."

The Queen gave him a flat look for a few moments before shaking her head, seeing as there was no harm in playing along. Jack grinned and let out a victorious laugh. "Okay, okay. Let me start over a few feet away…. Um… right over there." He decided, pointing to the small clearing.

"But… wouldn't it be easier if you just introduce yourself right here…?"

"But that would ruin the fun!" He giggled in return, and flew off.

_Well, this hands down is quite possibly the strangest night of my life. _Elsa thought, folding her arms as she watched Jack fly over to where he pointed at.

"Is this good?" He called, bouncing in his step.

She giggled and rolled her eyes, "Yes, Jack."

He laughed and pretended to be interested in something else for a few moments before noticing her beautiful presence. He blushed, and flew over to her, taking a bow. "Hey, I couldn't help but notice you over here. You aren't cold, are you?"

Elsa shook her head no. "No thank you, kind sir. I'm fine. May I ask who are, and why you're outside so late?"

He stood proudly. "You may. Jack Frost at your service, ma'am. I happen to be the Spirit of Winter, and I thought you might enjoy a bit of fun. Whaddaya say?"

"'Fun'?" Elsa smirked, raising an eyebrow. "What is this 'fun' you speak of?"

"It'd be much easier to show you," He murmured, extending his nervous hand out to her. "Do you trust me?"

Elsa didn't dare hesitate. She smiled as she took his hand, eyes widening when she realized that they were a perfect fit. And so warm. Her heart began to beat a thousand times per second, and blood began to rush to her face. _ Is this how Anna feels when she's with Kristoff? So secure, so… alive? _

She didn't have time to answer that herself though, as Jack already took her into the night. Where they were finally free. Together.

* * *

Hans grunted at the stale food he was given for dinner that day, and pushed it away from him. What stupidity. Well, he brought it against himself when he tried to marry the princess. And try to convince her sister that she was dead. What's worse, with an insult to injury, she punched him for freezing her heart. But did they really have to throw him in jail? Did he really have to suffer for something that wasn't the least bit terrible? He was stripped from his title. Everybody hated him. Now that, that's just a bit extreme.

The ex-prince rubbed his nose and glanced at the stall next to him, where a more bulky-er man huddled in the corner. He grabbed onto the polls, calling his name. "Pssst. Hey, Snowflake, did they happen to give you decent food?"

Snowflake glared at him, his features suddenly becoming a lot scarier. "Even if I did, why would I give them to you? Marrying a princess only to spite her sister… that's low, buddy. _Too low."_ He spat, and turned back to the other side. "Now leave me alone. I'm tired."

"If you were made fun of by your brothers for years when all you tried to do was get noticed, you'd do the same thing! Now, come on, just give me a piece of bread. I'm starving, here." He pleaded, banging his head against the metal.

"You should've thought before entering that castle." Snowflake mumbled, not looking up at him. "I told ya, I got nothin'."

Hans groaned in frustration. "Okay, you know what? I'm just not going to talk to you anymore. You're being difficult."

"Yeah, cause yer a bloody tyrant." The long-time prisoner muttered in return, and didn't say anything after that. Hans sighed and stared at him for a few moments, before crawling back to his own corner. His mind hurt from lack of food and exhaustion. He banged his head against the wall, only to get an annoyed "Quit doin' that, you jerk!" from the other stall. But he didn't stop. He had nothing else to do.

Pitch Black watched in sympathy as he saw the torture that Hans was given, and sympathized with him. He would do nicely for his plans. The first time, they didn't work because he didn't have an alibi. Perhaps…. If the prince was willing... He smirked and flew into the stall, opening his arms with a warm welcome. And Hans, who never experienced such treatment for a long time, smiled back at him. Finally… he had someone who could understand. Someone else who wanted to be seen.


	6. Chapter 6

**A wise fangirl on tumblr once said... "You gotta love the snow to love Jelsa." Now that's pretty legit. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter six: Elsa's Promise _

* * *

Elsa shut her eyes tight as she hung onto Jack, feeling nervous over the fact that she was flying for the first time. Uncharacteristically of her, she whimpered, "I'm going to fall, I'm going to fall, I'm going to fall…" and hid her face in the guardian's white hair.

He chuckled, stopping for one moment. "Aw, come on; don't tell me you're afraid of heights. Wait, are you?"

Should she yell at him again, demand him to put her down? Should she use her ice powers to freeze him? No, no, that wouldn't do, her hand was tied around Jack's neck; how would they get onto the ground safely?

She opened her eyes and gave him a flat look, unable to control her shaking hands. He shook his head at her before smirking. "Alright then. Guess you'll just have to face your fears now. Hold on to me."

"Ahh! Jack, what are you—?!" Her scream was cut off as he took her high into the stars, causing Arendelle to look so small in comparison. He danced among the sky in mirth, doing flips and turns as if it were his own gymnastics course. Elsa kept her lips in a thin line as she stared at him in shock for unsure of what to think. She felt her breath get caught in her throat when he led her down to the Fjord, and he began to run on water. Now this, the queen knew how to do. She gulped and placed her foot onto the sea with him, and grinned when it froze. Jack stopped short to stare at her in surprise before laughing and letting go of her, taking her hand instead. Together, the two ran across the water in perfect sync.

Jack grinned as he saw her relax a little, and gently nudged her to get her attention. "See? What did I tell you?"

She sighed while they glided on frosted ice before he took off into the sky again. "I guess… I guess you were right." This was freedom, wasn't it? This wasn't what she experienced during her escape in the Ice Palace.

"As always," Jack chuckled at her, and barely dodges a kick she tried to give him. He then turned his head towards a window, and smiled brightly. He turned to her. "There's something I actually want to show you. Come on." He said; the two flew off to the direction he was headed.

"Well, it's not like I have a choice…" Elsa muttered with an exasperated giggle. He blushed and looked onward.

Jack held her close to him as he sat upon the ledge of the house, looking in. He smiled and motioned to the Queen to glance with him. She nodded, turning her curious gaze towards the little family. There was a young girl and boy, dancing around the fireplace while the father played an instrument. The mother was next to him, clapping her hands and not dancing since she was heavily pregnant. The scene struck a chord within her, as she remembered warm nights when Anna wasn't even born yet. Everything was so simple back then.

Jack chuckled and made frost on the window, turning to Elsa again. "What should I draw?" He asked, nodding over to the family.

Elsa looked at him curiously, but she came up with an answer anyways. "A reindeer,"

He grinned and complied with her suggestion, cupping the adorable creature in his hands before blowing it off towards the children. The boy saw it first and gasped happily, pointing at it. "Look mommy! It's Jack Frost! He wants to play too!"

The little girl giggled in delight as the reindeer flew around her. "Again, again!"

The mother and father looked at each other in shock before smiling, for they were firm believers in the guardian as well. "If you ask nicely, maybe he will, darling."

Elsa had never seen Jack so happy. He was in his center, his destiny for life. Seeing him like that made her feel the same way. He laughed and hopped onto the window ledge, creating another image. "Heh, I like you people. Check this out." He created a perfect snowflake and passed it on towards the boy, who reached out to catch it in his mouth.

"_Whoa!"_

The father chuckled and thanked him even though he couldn't see the guardian clearly from where he was, and went back to playing his instrument. Elsa and Jack shared a look and burst out laughing. He took her hand into his, blushing at the touch as he flew her up onto the rooftops again. They stayed silent for this part of the ride until Jack saw a mountain close by, which was ironically the place where Hans proposed to Anna. He let go of her and she thanked him, staring at her kingdom in serene awe.

Jack leaned against his staff then, thoughts swirling around in his mind.

"You know," He began after a long silence. Elsa turned. "You were my first believer. Even if we knew each other for such a short time… it… didn't compare to how it was with the other children I met. Now that I remember… I can't thank you enough. 300 years of isolation is too long."

She smiled at him sadly and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm… I'm honored, Jack. Just to clear the air, I don't hold any grudges against you."

He chuckled, "Phew, good. I was getting worried for a second." Elsa shook her head at him. "So, tell me a bit about yourself Elsie. All I know is that you're stubborn and froze the entire kingdom in snow. How did you obtain your powers?"

She paused for a moment before replying, "I… was born with them. My father wanted to keep it secret for a long time despite my mother's protests, because I thought that I was… uncontrollable. Truth is, I… didn't really see anything wrong. My sister loved my power—its how we bonded."

Jack furrowed his eyebrows in thought, "Wait, wait…. Your father tried to hide who you were?"

"That's one way of putting it," She sighed, folding her arms. "But then… everything changed when she asked me to build a snowman one morning. I was creating huge pillars of snow for her to jump on, and I got so scared because I'd thought I would hit her. Th-the fear overcame me, a-a-and I really did hurt her… but we had to erase her memories of my powers. It was for the best, my father said. Slowly I became so obsessed with concealing it, that I wouldn't want to let anyone near me. Even you, Jack."

"Pitch," He muttered darkly, gripping his hands tighter around his staff. This was no doubt the boogeyman's work. It had to be.

"E-excuse me?" Elsa wondered, widening her eyes.

"No, not you, I was… thinking of somebody else. I'll get to him later." He assured her quickly, his cheeks flushing a bright pink. She stared him down before she humped, and continued on her story. Jack weakly chuckled as he continued to listen, her story becoming more and more interesting by the second. She told him of Hans and Anna, and Kristoff and Olaf, and the Duke of Weasletown, who was rotting in his jail cell by now. And the more Jack listened, the more he became furious with her father. No one should've concealed her powers. If it weren't for the fact that she overcame them and learned to live with them, he probably wouldn't hold any resentment.

Once she told her story, Jack reencountered his. From when the Man in The Moon chose him, to the time they met Sophie in the tunnels, to where Jamie believed again. Elsa loved it just as much as he did, and the two realized they really were two of a kind. Both would do anything for their sisters, and take pride in what they own. Even while one likes to have a little fun, and the other likes the orderly side of life, they knew that they were meant to meet up again.

The two were now staring at the moon, with Jack's arm wrapped unknowingly around Elsa's. He gazed at her beautiful, pale face, watching as her eyes began to shut. "Hey… Elsa?"

"Hmm?"

"I was… wondering. You're free to decline this or whatever," He took a deep breath, "Are you up for the idea of… me training you? Every night? I can talk to the other guardians and see what they think about it, I'm sure they'll love you." _I just hope Tooth doesn't hold a grudge. Or Baby T… _

Elsa thought about it. All her life, she'd just been living in fear. The only time when she learned how to use her powers was when she escaped, because she'd kept it in for so long. The idea of getting her powers trained for good use -by the guardian of winter himself, no less- sounded enchanting. She looked up at him and nodded without hesitation. "Of course, Jack. I love the idea. Promise we'll meet once the moon goes up and the gates closes? Apart from the weekends, that's when the parties are hosted."

Jack nodded eagerly. He couldn't wait. "I promise."

She was about to say something back to him, when a scream suddenly pierced the night sky. Elsa jerked her head toward her castle, a pained look spread across her face. "Oh no… Anna…"

"I should get you back," He sighed, and reluctantly helped her up. Elsa continued to whimper.

"I'm such a fool; she probably thinks I've left again! I can't, not when she's having my little niece or nephew!"

He didn't say anything as he flew her back to the castle, not wasting any time to dance among the rooftops. Once they hit the ground Elsa ran off, nearly bumping into someone on her way. She shuddered for who else could it be, but Sir Aaron.

"Your majesty! Where did you run off to?! The princess is in distress!" He yelled at her, grabbing her arm. Jack's neck stiffened.

"I-I know, I know, I just needed some time alone. Take me to her." She snapped. Aaron obliged, oblivious to the glaring guardian a few feet away. Something about the dude rubbed Jack the wrong way. He let out an exasperated groan and followed suit.

"Elsa!" Kristoff called out to her as she ran into the castle, alerting happy gasps from the crowd. "Oh, gee, you're a sight for sore eyes. Since you left, Anna hasn't stopped crying…"

The elder sister rubbed her temples to calm her throbbing head. "I just needed some time alone, Kristoff. Where is she now?"

He frowned and pointed over to where his adoptive mother was; the troll was clutching Anna's shaking hands tight, while another young woman with long brown hair and green eyes rubbed her shoulder. Her husband, -Elsa reasoned- was on his knees, muttering comforting words to her.

"Oh, Anna…"

"Come on, Elsie, you can do it." Jack assured her once he caught up to her, and she smiled gratefully at him.

Elsa slowly walked up to the small group as she listened into their conversation.

"Dear, you can't jump to conclusions like that."

"B-but she could be back in her Ice Palace by now! M-m-maybe she's still upset… maybe she doesn't even want me to have a child with Kristoff. Maybe she—"

The girl with the long brown hair glanced up to see Elsa and nodded at her, before turning to Anna. "Easy, easy… just take deep breaths and calm down, okay? Everything's going to be alright."

Anna whimpered. "No it won't…. no it won't…"

Elsa mentally gulped and took in a breath.

_**Anna… **_

_**I don't expect you to forgive me**_

_**I've abandoned you so many times… **_

_**Please… don't think things like that, you know I have changed… **_

_**Please look at me… **_

She knew she heard her. Everyone did. But Anna wouldn't look up. She was still stuck in the past, just as Elsa expected.

_**I have come with a proposal to make **_

_**It's something that'll wipe the slate clean… **_

_**If only you'll listen to what I have to say… **_

_**Maybe things will thaw for good? **_

"Please, Anna?" She begged, and this time the princess glanced up. Her face was stricken with tears.

"Why? So you can run away and hide again?"

_**For the first time in forever… **_

_**I finally understand. **_

_**For the first time in forever, I realize how much it hurts. **_

_**I'm doing this because I love you, and I don't want to live in fear… **_

_**Never again… I REFUSE. **_

Elsa took her sisters hand into hers, and Rapunzel and Eugene backed off to let them have their moment.

_**I promise I'll keep you safe and warm, **_

_**Protect your child as if it were my own **_

_**It's the least I can do—it's the only thing I can do **_

_**To forget the past and look for the future… **_

_**That's going to be so hard to do alone**_

She sang her last verse with more confidence than she had before, making sure the entire castle heard her. And the kingdom too.

_**I won't let any harm come to you anymore **_

_**I won't let hurt bring you down, like it did before **_

_**We'll build a snowman whenever you want, **_

_**I'll do whatever I can do… **_

_**Because for the first time in forever…. **_

_**I'm sorry for everything… I've… done….**_

Anna didn't notice the tears streaming down her face as she hugged her sister, relieved that she came back. She'd been waiting to hear those words for such a long time. Jack chuckled and folded his arms, proud of what Elsa finally managed to do. He glanced over to Kristoff who was struggling to hold back tears, and he leaned against his reindeer. A snowman danced around happily and clapped, earning a raised eyebrow from Jack.

"That's a first," he muttered with a smirk.

Elsa broke apart from her sister's embrace and wiped away her tears. "There's one more apology I have to do."

"E-elsa, its okay… everything's fine…"

She shook her head however, and placed her hand against Anna's stomach. She spoke to it softly. "I… I'm going to say sorry in advance for having to deal with your crazy aunt. But, I promise to protect you with my life, and I can't wait to meet you one day. I won't leave your side ever again. I _will not_ let you get hurt."

"Oh, Elsa…" Anna sighed, taking her hand. "Thank you."

She sniffed and hugged her. "I'm really sorry I left again…"

"Let it go, Elsa. I've accepted your apologies one too many times today."

She giggled and saw Jack from the corner of her eye, silently thanking him for bringing her back. He gave her a salute, smirking before he created a snowball. Elsa glared at him, her eyes telling him to put it down, but it was already thrown at Sir Aaron's head. The guardian laughed and gave the Queen his final farewell, sticking his tongue out.

"H-hey, where did that come from?! _Was it you?_" He roared, pointing a finger at Olaf. The snowman gave him a peeved look.

"What, just because I'm made of snow you think I could conjure up a snowball? Sheesh, people these days…"

Sir Aaron looked as if he was about to explode from frustration, but instead he held in because he was in the presence of Queen Elsa. She let out a laugh and turned her attention towards Jack, who was already dancing on the rooftops.

**This is what I think if Elsa was in Anna's shoes, how her version of _For the First Time in Forever_ would go. Welp, uhh... yeah. *slowly backs away***


	7. Chapter 7

**SNOWDAAAAY! Thanks a bunch, Jack. x) **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter seven: A deal with the shadow master_

* * *

"So… this is your secret lair?" Hans asked in bewilderment, hopping over a stone that was in his way. Pitch chuckled and held out his arms. The dark features and low hanging lamps were something that stood out to him, as he never saw such amazing craftsmanship before.

"Impressive, isn't it? It took me years to rebuild it, after that blasted Jack Frost and his guardians destroyed my home." He muttered, narrowing his eyes over recent memories. The ex-prince gave him a curious look.

"You always talk about that guy like he did something horrible to you. That's overreacting, if you ask me."

The boogeyman rolled his eyes, _"This_ coming from a man who tried to spite a princess?"

Hans shrugged. "Hey, a man has to take it to the extreme when he wants the throne." He countered smartly.

He gave him the most oddest of looks before groaning in frustration, and flew over to him. "Enough chit-chat. Let's talk business."

The prince folded his arms. "Business? I thought I was going to live here. I don't want to do your dirty work, sheesh, I just wanted to get out of that cell."

"Which you _will, _your bloody highness," Pitch assured him, struggling to control his temper. "I have to admit I'm rather shocked that you're my first believer. No one has ever been filled with so much fear before in the long, desolated life I've lived. That is why I rescued you. I physically can't bring harm to Jack Frost and his little friends, but you can. I'll get you a room here, as long as you can do one tiny thing for me."

"And what's that?"

Pitch smirked as he became a shadow on the wall.

_**You're in my world now, not your world **_

_**And I got friends on the other side **_

"Yeah, that's not creepy…" Hans gulped, backing off as he saw the frightening creatures come out from the dark.

"These guys will assist you in my plan. Don't worry, they're friendly as long as you don't get them mad." Pitch ordered, and began to sing again.

_**Sit down there at that table, put your mind at ease **_

_**If you relax you'll be able to do anything I please **_

"Can't I get something to eat first?" Hans asked. Pitch rolled his eyes.

_**I control your future now **_

_**I am the only one who can change it **_

_**I look deep into your heart and soul… **_

_**Together, we can make your wildest dreams come true **_

The ex-prince looked visibly distressed at how the creatures led him onto the long round table set, and he glanced up to see the dark god smirking.

_**I got power, I got nightmares, I got things I haven't even tried **_

_**And I now have friends… on the other side. **_

"Um, really cool. So what's your plan again?"

Pitch snapped out of his song and chuckled, putting his hands behind his back. "Right. Sorry, got a bit carried away. Jack has recently become close with the Queen of Arendelle, Elsa. I know she has a sister too, and she'll be necessary as well. Give it a few months to kidnap her, and bring her to me. Then Jack will try to find her, and follow you to my lair. With the fear you're creating, it'll make me so much more powerful. Powerful enough to erase the children's happy dreams forever, and it'll put the guardians out of existence! In return, as I said before, you'll be treated here like royalty. The royalty you deserve. Are we in agreement?"

Hans didn't even have to question his offer. It sounded way too good to be true. He nodded eagerly, shaking the shadow's hand.

"Excellent. You belong to me, now." Pitch laughed, and with his powers, created a black 'P' on Hans's chest, to which the ex-prince glanced at in wonder. He then smiled gratefully at his master, who smirked, and went away deeper into the lair. Things were going to get so interesting.

* * *

Elsa yawned as she hugged her shoulders, staring off into her kingdom. It's been only an hour since the party ended and the guests have left, but she didn't want to go to sleep just yet. Her mind was full of questions and worries for the future.

She didn't hear Kristoff walk up behind her, so he cleared his throat to get her attention. "Hey," He muttered, giving the queen a small smile. Elsa let out a sigh of relief; she thought someone was out to get her.

"What are you still doing up?" She questioned him.

He shrugged, "Not tired. Besides, I haven't properly thanked you yet. It means so much to Anna that you did the apology… and to me, too. I think of you as a sister, Elsa, and the way you've changed… it makes me so proud to finally know the real you."

Elsa was touched by his words. She smiled softly at him, nodding her head in thanks. "And the same goes to you, Kristoff. I've been a horrible sister to Anna… seeing her so happy with you… makes me forget about the past sometimes. It's a nice feeling."

The prince sighed and walked to stand next to her, letting his hands droop over the railing. "So… about yesterday… you still haven't told me what you were thinking about."

Elsa giggled, "You're still onto that?" She shook her head and sighed, "Alright, you deserve to know. I've put you through too much anyway."

Kristoff opened his mouth to comment on that, but he stopped himself.

"I… am in debt with Jack Frost. I met him long ago when I couldn't control my powers, and he comforted me even when I tried to push him away. He found me again, I don't know how, but he comforted me again for I was upset. He… he promised to train my powers. I couldn't believe it myself at first."

"Hang on… are you talking about _THE JACK FROST? _The guy who saved Easter and defeated Pitch Black?" Kristoff asked with excitement in his voice. Elsa smiled.

"The very same. I've… believed in him ever since I was a little girl; and now that he's back… I admire him even more. He's everything I thought he would be."

"This is amazing! Grandpabbie told me and Sven stories of him when I was a kid! I always dreamed of meeting him someday, and I'm sure Anna would to." Kristoff laughed, throwing his hands in the air.

Elsa frowned and bit her lip. "I understand… but… he's only visible to children. It's unusual that I can see him, but I don't know about you and my sister…"

Kristoff didn't seemed upset by that at all, though. "Well, the reason you can still see him is obvious. You guys loooove each other."

She gasped, her face turning a bright shade of red. "Kristoff! I've only known him for such a short time! Th-that's impossible!" _Although, he might be right about that… _Her conscious assured her, causing her to groan. "Oh, how did I not know that you'd jump to that conclusion?"

He chuckled, stepping away from the railing to fold his arms. "Hey, I was only teasing. I'm happy for you. Really. Introduce me and Anna to him sometime, okay?"

"You're not… upset by this?" She asked cautiously.

"Upset?" Kristoff blew a raspberry. "Elsa, you should know by now that I've seen stranger things. You falling in love with a childhood legend is perfectly normal."

"_I AM NOT IN—"_

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding, sheesh! Put… the ice sword down." He told her cautiously and took a few steps back. Elsa frowned before thawing it, and folded her arms begrudgingly. "Thank you…."

Olaf ran in just then, looking at the two curiously before smiling. "Oh hey guys! Anna's been asking for you Kristoff, I just wanted to let you know."

"O-olaf! How much did you hear?" Elsa asked worriedly, fiddling with her thumbs. The snowman giggled and danced around her.

"Oh, just from the part where you said 'I am in debt with Jack Frost'. Personally, I think you two would make a lovely couple." Olaf assured her, grinning from… cheek to cheek. Kristoff smirked.

"See?"

Elsa took in a deep breath and sighed, pushing him away. "Good night, Prince Kristoff. Goodnight Olaf."

"Nighty-night! Don't let the frostbite bite!" He cheered on with another giggle, taking the father-to-be by the hand. He turned back to smile at her –which earned him a snowball thrown at the head- before following the warm hearted snowman.

0o0o0o0o0o

Jack let out a joyous laugh as he flew into North's workshop, nearly tumbling into a few yetis. He didn't stop laughing even when they yelled at him, which alerted a very annoyed Bunnymund.

"Oi, what're you doin' barging in at this hour? Its past midnight, ya bloke…" He muttered, scratching his ears.

Jack smirked and balanced on his staff. "I would say I'm sorry, but in truth I never am when it comes to you."

The Easter Bunny chuckled at him, folding his arms. "So I'm guessing mission was successful, eh mate?"

He nodded and jumped off, freezing a yeti that was almost finished painting next year's toy set. The creature growled in frustration. "She still remembered me, Bunny! And she can still see me, even though she's an adult! I can't believe it!"

Bunnymund furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "Huh… that's unusual. Well not exactly since Jamie and Sophie could still see us whenever we visit… but they're the only few who can. Either way, I'm happy for you. Are ya going to meet up with her again? Or introduce her to us?" He asked, hopping onto a table while Jack flew by him.

"Yeah, after a few lessons I give her on controlling her powers. You know she can control snow and ice, too?"

He chuckled and smirked at him. "I was there when you two lovebrirds met, dummy."

"Lovebirds?! Okay, now you're asking for it." That said, Jack jumped onto him and held his paws together. The two old friends started to wrestle with each other, unknowingly making a ruckus and destroying most of the workplace.

Bunnymund laughed as he lifted him up. "Come on, admit it mate. You've got a thing for her. I wouldn't be too surprised."

"Just like you are with Sophie?" He giggled, getting out of his grip. Bunnymund blushed in response. "Heh heh, got you."

"Get back here, ya moron!"

Tooth yawned as she was just getting a midnight snack from the fridge in North's office. All she heard was a crash and a few yetis roar in annoyance to make her drop her coffee cup and fly over to the commotion. She shook her head when she saw Jack getting strangled by the Easter Bunny.

"Boys, can't you do that in the morning? We're all trying to sleep here…" She yawned to prove her point.

"He started it when he mentioned his wittle girlfriend." Bunnymund giggled, blocking a punch that was supposed to be thrown his way.

"No I didn't!" Jack hissed, folding his arms.

The toothfairy smiled, eyes lighting up in pleasant surprise. "Really? Who?!"

He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "You know her… Queen Elsa, of Arendelle. The one who froze the entire kingdom in snow."

As Tooth recalled that one incident, she let out a giggle. "Oh yeah, she's perfect for you." Bunnymund smirked.

"Ugh! _We're just friends!"_ Jack complained, and shook his head while he stormed off. The two guardians glanced at each other before laughing, and followed suit, unaware of the black dust that began to form around the globe.

**I'm pretty sure you guys know where that song I reprised came from. This is shorter than how I normally make my chapters, but it was necessary for reasons. Heh, isn't Jack so adorable when he's angry? **

**_Jack:_ Gah, leave me alone! I don't like Elsa like that! I mean... not yet... uhm... **


	8. Chapter 8

**Happy valentines day, darlings! x) have some Jelsa to celebrate. ;3 **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter eight: The Queen and I_

* * *

"Anna, hold still." Elsa chided, putting a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

She glared. "Ugh these dresses are so tiiiiight… why do I have to get fitted now?" She muttered, placing a hand over her stomach. The bulge wasn't large enough for people to see from a distance, but it was obvious by now that she was with child. Lucia giggled at her.

"Complain all you want, but it has to be done, your majesty." She answered her, loosening the ribbon. "When I was pregnant with my son, Danny, my poor seamstress worked day and night trying to get the right size for me." She remembered fondly.

Anna gulped, "It's going to be that bad…?"

The Queen giggled at her little freak-out. "Anna. When the baby grows, you're going to have to grow with it. Don't be afraid, sister; I'll be right here the whole time."

Lucia smiled and got up from where she was. "Danny! How do you think I did, sweetheart?" She called over to the little boy, who stopped playing with his toys and ran over to his mother's arms. "Do you like her dress?"

He smiled and nodded eagerly, reaching out so Anna could bend down and take her hands into his. "You looks really pretty, Princess Annie!" The young boy was only four years old, but he was quite the chatterbox once you got to know him.

Anna giggled at him, "Thank you, Danny. Go along and hang out with Olaf now, okay? He's in the barn with Sven and Kristoff."

"Can I say goodbye to the baby?" He asked innocently, causing her to giggle, and lowered him so he could place his tiny hands against her stomach. "Bye-bye! I'll be back soon to play some more, but I gotta go. Hehehe." He smiled as she put him down, and he ran out of the room calling the snowman's name.

Lucia was just putting away her sewing materials when she saw Anna crying, and Elsa hugging her tight. The servant sighed and wrapped one arm around her shoulder. "I'll give you two a moment." She said and with a small, comforting smile, she walked out the door.

"You okay?" Elsa asked her, wiping away her tears.

She sniffed. "I-it's just… so hard to believe still. I'm really going to be a mommy…"

Elsa giggled, "Who would've thought, huh? Just think, Anna. If… if our love didn't thaw the ice then, this would've never happened. And I promised you I'd protect the both of you with my life, didn't I?"

Anna nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes, you did, even though I trust you more than anything to do that if you didn't voice it. You'd… you'd make a great mother someday too."

The queen raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about? I'd rather be isolated in my Ice Palace than marry one of my suitors."

Anna smirked at her, "Oh come on, don't be oblivious. Kristoff told me why you came back. I can't believe I didn't remember every time mother told us stories! Jack Frost is the perfect guy for you! Sure he's a trickster, and he loves having a good time while you're all deadlines and queen-stuff, but it's a match made in heaven."

"A-_anna!"_ She complained, her face turning a bright pink. "We only just got to know each other!"

"Don't have me say 'I told you so'." She giggled, dodging a snowball her sister tried to throw at her.

"I don't need a man to make me happy, Anna. The day you say that will be a strange day for everyone." Elsa muttered, pushing her aside.

"Oookay." The princess shrugged, and with a smirk, hung onto her arm. "Whatever you saaay…"

Elsa shook her head, seeing as there was no arguing with her. "I'm going to have a meeting with the Duchess of Sir Aaron's kingdom. She's visiting today to discuss trades. I'll visit you later in the afternoon, sound fair?"

"And then you'll hang out with Jack, right?"

Elsa didn't answer her, blushing as she walked out of the room.

"RIGHT?!" Anna giggled at her sister's constant denial, before shaking her head and following suit.

* * *

The Queen barely held her eyes open throughout the tiresome meeting, and was snapped back into reality when Sir Aaron lightly touched her shoulder. She gasped, giving him a death glare. He chuckled.

"I know; my sister can be really boring sometimes."

"I wasn't sleeping," She muttered, sitting up straight, and the council members looked at her strangely. "So it's settled, then? Each winter when the crops over at your kingdom become bare, we'll send ours. In return, you give us oil for the gas lamps we keep my citizens warm."

The Duchess nodded, her unmanageable hair going with it. "I apologize how long it took us to reach this kind of agreement, but yes, that'll do."

Elsa led her out the door, with the other members following suit. "It's quite alright. I'm pleased things have been solved between our kingdoms."

"As am I," She said, and with an approving nod to her knights, they left the room along with Sir Aaron. She turned to smile at the Queen, shyly giving her a questioning glance. "If… I may be bold, your highness, have you chose a man to marry yet? I'm not forcing you to marry my brother, for love isn't something that should be forced, but I'm only asking. It's unnatural for a Queen to still be unclaimed and her sister married… people have been talking."

Elsa bit her lip as she sighed. She hugged her shoulders. "Truthfully… I… disapprove of all my suitors. Each one of them holds reasons why I wouldn't marry them, as I don't need an act of true love to make me happy." _You're so wrong. Stop lying to yourself, Elsa. Haven't those dreams you've been having told otherwise? _"… If the people talk, then they talk. What am I supposed to do?"

The Duchess sighed. "You're just afraid, aren't you? You're scared of the idea of someone being dependent on you. You don't want to take the risk… you don't want to suffer what Anna went through."

"Don't speak of that!" Elsa roared, creating an angry flurry of snow. "Please… I-I-it… brings back bad memories…"

She gulped and took a few steps back, holding her hands out in front of her. "Alright… I'm sorry… I… that was out of line." Once Elsa had calmed, she sighed, folding her arms against her chest. "The boat is probably leaving by now, so I should go. Oh… and… your highness?"

"Yes?" She asked, biting her lip.

"I won't say this again but, don't let this chance of love get away. You never know when you'll get it again. I… I learned that the hard way."

Elsa's eyes popped out of her head. _H-how… what's she talking about?! _

The Duchess of Sir Aaron's kingdom walked past her before she had another say. Elsa groaned and she let a blast of ice pierce the nearby window, making it crash and fall onto the floor. _Why is everybody on my case about him? All I said was that he's training me! There's nothing that's going to be between us, and they'll never will be. Ugh… _She let out a sigh as she trudged into her bedroom suite, throwing her hair-tie on the bed.

"Sheesh, I never took you for a drama queen." A cheerful voice snickered, and Elsa glanced up to see the guardian leaning against his staff. He stood outside on the balcony.

"Jack! You're not supposed to be here until the gates are closed! We settled on that." She hissed.

Lucia knocked on the door. "Queen Elsa? Dinner is ready."

"Yeah, if you don't come I'll eat everything for you!" Danny cheered, ignoring a glare his mother gave him.

"Uhm… I'll be there in a few minutes; I have to change into my evening gown." She assured her, and Lucia nodded before walking off. She then turned to glare at Jack, who smirked.

"What? Hanging around North's workplace is so boring sometimes. I figured it'd be funner to visit you and annoy your subjects." He shrugged nonchalantly, hopping onto his staff as he flew by her.

"Don't think I didn't see that snowball you threw at Sir Aaron's head," She hissed at him, going over to her dresser. "You're lucky I was dealing with Anna or else I would've done something worse to you."

He laughed, "Like barricade me in ice? Ohh, so original."

Elsa glared at him. "Turn around, Jack."

"That's your comeback…? Ohh, heh," He blushed when she pointed to her pretty navy blue dress, and held out his hands in defense. "Right. Sorry."

The Queen shook her head and slipped her dress on, admitingly a little nervous that he was standing there still. She took a deep breath to calm her worries, and checked herself in the mirror real quick before facing him. "What do you think?"

Jack spun around when he heard her melodious voice, his eyes popping wide out of his head now that he saw the dress on her. It was less formal than the day dress she wore previously, with shorter sleeves and a darker coloring. On the brim, there were snowflakes decorated to fit her element. Needless to say… he was once again speechless. He gulped, stuttering a bit as he tried to regain his voice. He knew talent when he saw it. "Did… did you… make that yourself? _OUT OF YOUR POWERS?" _

Elsa giggled at his shock. "Oh, I can do many other things than make dresses. Maybe I can teach you a few things when you train me."

Jack was utterly, incredibly floored. He could only nod.

She smirked as she felt confident now that she finally found something that struck him speechless, and nodded to the door. "Well, you're here now. Want to come with me for dinner? There's going to be a young boy there, so I expect you to be on your best behavior. _Don't_ give him any ideas."

He forced a laugh and followed her. "No promises, my queen."

_Aaaand, he's back to his regular self now. Father, help me. _

Together, the two walked –well, Jack glided on his staff- towards the Great Hall to have dinner. The guardian made a comment on the broken window that servants were already trying to fix, earning a light punch from the exasperated Queen. She shook her head at him and they moved on. Anna was the first to notice her as she got up from her place, calling her sister to sit next to her. When she saw Jack behind her, she didn't say anything at first; her eyes grew wide as saucers etching above her head, and her mouth threatened to let out an excited squeal. Kristoff caught what was going on and silenced her with his hand, worriedly glancing around the room to check if anyone saw the confrontation. Only Lucia noticed, and she just looked at the couple strangely.

Elsa cleared her throat. "Hello everyone, I'm sorry I'm late for this. I just got a little… held up."

Anna's eyes narrowed for a second as she had a teasing look on her face, before she calmed herself and took away Kristoff's hand. "That's fine, sis. We were just starting to eat!" She giggled and sat next to her, while Jack gave a silent 'thank you' to Kristoff as he flew up to the top of the ceiling.

Finally they were finished. But, it was nice to listen to. These folks were much crazier than the guardians whenever they actually had dinner together, like the family Jack used to have. It almost made things seem like… they were back to normal. Somewhat. He controlled himself from pulling pranks, until one of the waiters –who was acting stuck up to the Queen when she asked for a plate- causing him to trip on frozen water that Danny dropped on the ground. Even Sir Aaron joined in on the laughter, considering he didn't know what the cause of that was. Jack let out a large sigh of relief as Elsa finished her food, and Anna turned back to snicker at him.

Elsa stood up, thanking the chefs for her meal, and excused herself from the Great Hall. Jack giggly shot up from his seat and grabbed her hand once he was sure no one was looking at them, and pulled her through the hallway. "Hahah! Now we can finally have some fun time, Jack style!"

She couldn't help but suppress a giggle as she created an ice pathway for her to work against too, still keeping a hold on Jack's hand. "So… where are you thinking of training me, master?" She asked him, stretching his ego just a tad.

He smirked at her. "You know what I'm talking about."

"Ah, true. I just wanted to pester you." She shrugged, letting the loose braid fall out of her flowing blond hair.

From the Great Hall, Anna happily ran into the hallway with Kristoff at her side. She gave the two a dreamy sigh, cupping her hands in her face. "Can you believe it, Kris?! SHE'S IN LOVE WITH JACK FROST! THE JACK FROST! _I can feel it in my belly."_

He chuckled at his wife. "That's probably just the food talking, but I'll take your word for it."

Anna slugged him on the shoulder.

Meanwhile, Jack and Elsa were already outside to the place they first met, and the place where he was nearly stuck in ice. He laughed, unable to contain his happiness. "Okay, this'll be your training grounds. I'll create a blockade from here to the castle so you'll know where the limit is."

Elsa pouted. "Why can't I do it?"

The guardian folded his arms, leaning against his staff. "Your powers aren't meant for this kind of stuff. I've been around for 300+ years, so I know every trick in the book. You're… a girl, so you're too delicate."

She narrowed her eyes. "I created a three-foot tall monster guard, made a palace for me to find comfort in, can create clothing material out of ice, and I _froze my ENTIRE kingdom in snow_. Since you're so confident, why don't we hold a contest to see who can create the best ice arena faster?"

Jack visibly gulped, and squeaked out, "…okay."

"Best two out of three?" The queen began, readying her powers. He nodded, and now, with his confident smirk back, he held out his staff.

"Game on."

Elsa made the first move and created a beautiful ice pillar a few feet away from her. She then stomped on the ground to make the floors, with little details of rainclouds on the edges of it. Jack sweatdropped and flew up in the air, trying to find a way to throw her off. When he found an answer, he laughed, and used the wind to help him to create strong, sturdy snow walls. It formed around Elsa like a circle, stopping whatever she wanted to make in that instant.

She gritted her teeth. "JACK!"

"You said best two out of three!" He laughed at her, using the remaining space to close in the semi-circle.

_Yes, that you did… _She thought with a smirk, and turned all of his snow made walls into ice, matching her pillar that she made before. As Jack nearly fell backwards with shock, he watched as the ice basically formed itself around the trees, creating not only an arena, but a tree-house design. It was only a few feet off the ground, so it wasn't as tall as her Ice Palace was, however it was still magnificent in her eyes.

She smirked when she saw his gaping mouth, and re-created a monster, but this time it was taller and resembled an ancient wolf. "Hmm… think she'd be a good training target? She's a perfect match for my other protector, Marshmallow."

Jack could only stare at it in shock as he felt intimidated by the giant cat. "Nice… Kitty?"

"That resembles a wolf, Jack." Elsa repeated, slowly spelling out the words for him. He didn't have the energy to glare at her, as he was too frightened by the giant creature. Sure, he's faced off Pitch Black before, but this was just plain _freaky_.

Surprisingly to both of them though, the beast took a liking to him, and nuzzled his cheek when she became eye-level with the guardian. Elsa stifled laughter as she watched the sight unfold, petting Kitty's head as a sign of acceptance. "You'll help us during my training, won't you?" The creature roared an affirmative in response, and licked Jack's face again.

However, there was one creature of darkness that didn't approve of this, and he glared down at the sight before him. "Enjoy life while you can, Jack Frost and Queen Elsa," He muttered, saying both names with equal forms of distaste. "For I will become powerful again, and mark my words, both of you will wish you were never even born." With that pledge said, he growled as he hopped onto his nightmare horse and took off to his depressing lair.


	9. Chapter 9

**I figured I should put the ages now before I forget. Anna is about 21, and Kristoff is about 22, considering that he saw her around the same age. Elsa is 29 and Jack is 330, (since I want him to be about the same age as her. kinda.) welp, uhh, I apologize in advance for how depressing this chapter might get. If you throw any rotten tomatoes at me... I'll hide in a closet. **

**_Kristoff:_ I'm really scared now... **

**_Jack:_ Come on, you worry too much! **

**_Kristoff:_ You do realize she's probably talking about you, right? I mean, considering that there's a tragedy tag and you're here... **

**_Elsa:_ Oh, not this again... **

**_Jack:_ Haha! See? I have moral on my side! **

**_Elsa:_ I'm not siding with you I'm just getting annoyed at you. **

**_Jack:_ That's harsh. :( **

**_Anna:_ Hey, hey, quiet, I'm trying to listen to the narrator! **

**_Olaf:_ Hi guys! What did I miss? **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter nine: When snow and ice collide_

* * *

As the weeks passed, Jack and Elsa repeatedly met up after dinner. Some of the servants were beginning to get suspicious of the Queen's odd behavior, for they never have seen her so happy before. However, they didn't question it; a happy Queen meant extra downtime. If there was one annoying thing about all this, it was Anna's constant pestering about the guardian's whereabouts. She knew it was payback for the times she teased her about Kristoff, and she didn't like it.

Anna yawned as she tried to wake up one morning on the sixth week of Elsa's training, but fell right back onto Kristoff's chest instead. She moaned and pressed her hands against her stomach. "This baby doesn't want me to get up…"

Her husband chuckled at her, rubbing her belly where her hand was. "You know what Lucia would say to that. Besides, this is what you get for constantly asking me for chocolate in the middle of the night and then threatening me to throw it out."

Anna chose to ignore that last remark. "I-I do, but… ugh… I've been filling in for Elsa whenever she goes to hang out with Jack, and I never get any alone time with you, considering that fall is coming up soon." She placed one hand on his cheek. "Is everything alright with the sleigh?"

"When I test it out in the woods this season, hopefully," The large man answered her, holding her tighter. "Don't worry, one day you and I will put everything aside. We could have that picnic Olaf always wanted, and we could pick out baby names, which is something that we probably should've done already."

"We were busy, it's alright, Kristoff." She sighed, and glanced down at her stomach for the first time that morning. "Hey… Kris, look, I'm showing! Look!" He chuckled at his wife and sat upright, eye's growing wide when he saw what she was referring to. Whatever he was going to say in that moment, he forgot about it as he slowly reached out to touch the baby bump. All his worries about being a father completely vanished in that one second as he felt it. He didn't even bother to wipe away the tears that were threatening to fall down his cheeks then. He loved her too much.

"Yeah… I see it."

Anna giggled tearfully. "Guess I have to get another fitting today… might as well."

He chuckled at her and kissed her nose. "Are you going to abuse that power so you could annoy your sister again?"

She smiled. "Obviously. This is payback for all the times she teased me about you."

Kristoff shook his head as he helped her up, carefully letting her get into her slippers. Who would've thought that a guy like him would find an amazing girl like her, and become a prince in the process? However nothing compared to what he just experienced right then; he knew that there would be more like that to come.

As he watched Anna get her dress on for the day, all he focused on was her, and the beaming smile plastered on her face. He only wished things would stay like that forever.

0o0o0o0o0o

"So… how's your training sessions going?" She asked casually, rubbing her stomach. Lucia had just fitted another dress, and now the two were in Elsa's study.

"Fine, Anna. Jack is teaching me how to control frost in battle." Elsa answered, flipping a page in her book.

"Oh. Cool." She leaned over her shoulder. "What're you reading?"

Elsa let her head fall onto the papers and groaned, seeing through the true reason why her sister was there. "Okay, okay, you can officially meet Jack tonight. And Kristoff, and Olaf."

Anna clapped her hands together in excitement. "Really?! Oh, I thought you'd forgotten by now!"

Elsa let her hand rest against her cheek. "How can I forget when you constantly remind me every day?"

The princess giggled at that snarky remark and smirked, placing an arm over her shoulder. "So, now that I have you distracted, tell me. What's he like? Is he just as amazing as he sounds?"

She giggled in response, "He… he can be really annoying sometimes, Anna, as most boys are, but he teaches me to push past my limit. He knows when to stop if things get too serious too fast, or when I'm upset about something and he can cheer me up. I… if only I'd let him in when I was a child, we'd be more than what we are now… but… the past is in the past, unfortunately."

Anna nodded, giving her a proud smile. "You're also a lot happier now, Elsa, many people have noticed. He's good for you."

Elsa narrowed her eyes. "Anna… guardians are _immortal,_ if we did find love like you and Kristoff, it wouldn't have worked out."

"But you've thought about him like… _that_ several times, though, right?"

"If I admit it to you, will you stop asking?"

"No, probably not," Anna reasoned, giggling when Elsa groaned again and her face turned a bright pink. "Listen, Elsa, I'm just looking out for you."

She smiled gratefully at her, and placed a hand on her stomach. "I know, I know. How do you feel?" She asked now, changing the subject.

Anna shrugged as she grasped her hand. "Fine, I guess. A little nauseous, though… what with the morning sickness and everything…" She muttered the last part quietly, wincing a little bit.

Elsa got up from her table and hugged her, wishing that she could help. Seeing as she could find no resolution, she let out a sigh, and nodded back over to her paperwork. "Considering now that your fitting is over, could you can help me sort out the paperwork for Prince Rolfe? I doubt I'll be able to finish it by tonight."

The princess's face lit up and she nodded. "Sure! I got nothing else to do anyways."

Jack hadn't had a good night's sleep like that in years. Even though he couldn't remember what the heck he was dreaming about, it was still nice to not wake up screaming every second or so. He let out a large yawn and got out of bed his bed, reaching over to get his staff that was nearby. It could've been the perfect morning, Jack realized with a frown, if he didn't have to wake up to the guardians yelling at each other.

He flew past the giant workplace with every worst case scenario playing out in his mind. He half-expected to get in the center of it until a yeti stopped him, and he reared backward into a pile of unfinished toys.

"Paul…? What are you stopping me for, let me through!"

The yeti shook his head, pointing to a North-like doll. Jack narrowed his eyes. "North told you to do this?"

He nodded confidently and folded his arms.

_Why in the world would North of all guardians stop me from…. _He let out an annoyed sigh. "Okay. Guess I'll just go back to sleep then, I had a long night training Elsa anyhow."

Paul smirked for he thought Jack really was about to leave, but he was unpleasantly surprised when the spirit of fun hopped onto his staff, and made a u-turn around the workplace, sending piles of snow at anyone who stopped him. While Jack taught the Queen how to work her powers under happiness and love, she taught him the skills of endurance. He could defeat a foe if they caught him from behind, or if they were too close for comfort. Jack paid for that little sexist comment he pulled on their first lesson, and he knew he'd get the queen back someday.

"This is impossible," North muttered, putting his hands on his forehead. "How can we be sure that these creatures belong to Pitch?"

Bunnymund folded his arms. "It's our only resolution, mate. Who else would want minions to dish out his dirty work when he physically can't anymore? They're decedents of the Dark Ages, North. Put two and two together."

Tooth nervously fluttered around them. "B-b-but… didn't we _defeat _Pitch all those years ago?"

"Or so we thought," Bunnymund said with gritted teeth.

Jack let out an annoyed chuckle as he flew in, leaning against his staff. "You know… I love it when you guys keep secrets from me."

North's eyes grew wide as he held up his hands. "How the bloody heck did you get past the yetis?!"

He narrowed his eyes. "Training a Snow Queen has its perks, Santa. She's tougher than you think." He then pointed his staff at the guardians. "Now tell me what's going on!"

The elder guardian sighed as he fell back onto his chair, wearily looking across the room. No one wanted to say what was going on; not even Sandy. Jack sighed and waited until someone spoke up.

"Jack…" Bunnymund grunted, hopping over to him. "It was our own fault that we didn't keep a closer eye on Pitch. Somehow he's managed to gather creatures from the Dark Ages when he was in power, and is creating them to do his dirty work. Not only that… but it seems like he also got himself a believer, as twisted as he is."

"A believer?" Jack repeated, eyes growing wide. "Wh-what_… how?" _

Tooth flew over to him now and glanced down in shame. "We're sorry we kept this from you for a long time, Jack, but you've been so happy lately… we didn't want to spoil your good mood. But… we realized something as big as this can't be hidden."

"So you really think that Pitch can come back, and become more powerful than he was?" He asked breathlessly, although he knew the answer himself.

"From the looks of it, it's a possibility." Tooth sighed.

"W-well then we gotta stop him! We have to stop him now before it gets too late!" Jack exclaimed, hopping on his staff. Sandy used his magic to pull him back down to the earth.

North shook his head. "I'm afraid it's not in our power to do that, at least, not right now. Pitch seems to be biding his time—we believe he has a goal in mind that we don't know about, something that has to do with his believer. My advice is to be on the lookout if you see any suspicious behavior on your way when you visit your girlfriend tonight. Report back to me."

Jack blushed despite himself. "She's not my… girlfriend…"

Bunnymund chuckled at him and slapped a paw around his shoulder. "C'mon mate, stop lyin' to yerself. We all know there's something goin' on."

He shrugged him off. "If there was, would you stop asking me?"

North smirked. "Now why would we do that?"

Jack let out an exasperated grown and flew off then, ignoring the teasing from his friends. Still though, he was glad that even in the face of danger everyone was still the same. For now, at least.

It was finally sundown when Jack left the workshop for Arendelle, and he waved goodbye to the yetis who tried to stop him. He flew to the tallest mountain like he normally did, smiling as he felt the intense wind brushing past. Baby Tooth flew over to wish him good luck and he smiled at her, petting her head with one finger. She blushed as she flew away.

While stared out into his home, he wondered what he and Elsa would do this session. He'd covered the basics of creating a perfect snowflake with her; she nailed that within the first lesson to his utmost surprise. Maybe he could teach her how to overcome her fear of heights. She'd expressed that openly many times when he brought it up.

"Hey wind!" He cried out, "Take me to Arendelle!" He laughed as he was pushed along, keeping a steady grip on his staff. He didn't realize Baby Tooth was following him too until he spun around to check out the workplace. He smiled at her. "You wanna meet Elsa too, huh?" She nodded and buzzed into his pockets.

He barely made it past the big cities when he saw it. Smoke. Huge pillars of smoke were coming out of a tall building, and people aimlessly rushed to put the fire out. He squinted to get a better view of the event, and flew into the mass of frantic victims. Children cried out and clung to their mothers, while family huddled together a few feet away to protect each other from the fire.

The little fairy that followed him nervously glanced around, screeching in fright when she saw the creatures that North and the other guardians were talking about.

"You have got to be kidding me," Jack groaned, and flew towards them. "Hey, what do you think you're doing?! Stop this right now!"

However, one of the creatures heard him, and jumped on him to slash his shoulder with his fearsome claws. Jack tried to get him off but he couldn't; he hadn't faced anything more horrible in his life before. Another seemed to get the hint that someone was interrupting their work, and bit his ankle.

"Ack! Get off me, you little freak," He muttered and kicked the red devil with his other foot. As one left though, more came onto him.

"That wouldn't work, I can assure you," A deep voice chuckled, causing Jack to cough out smoke. "The more you attack, the angrier they get."

He glared through the smoke blinding his eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are, destroying someone's home like this?!" He let out a scream as another creature snapped at his ear.

"Hm? This?" It asked, as if it just realized the damage it did. "Oh, this is nothing compared to what I have in store for someone else… someone… I'm sure you wouldn't want hurt."

_Elsa! _He thought desperately, eyes growing wide.

"Show yourself, coward!"

"Why? So you can save the day again? I doubt that, what with your power weakening as we speak. Do you really think you're a hero around these parts? I wouldn't be surprised if people have forgotten of you by now." This time, Hans showed himself to the guardian in all his glory. He wore a long dark purple cape from his black attire, which stood out from the smoke around them. "I'm doing this for my master, and he would be proud of me. He has goals that no one would dream of reaching, and it was such a shame that nobody listened to him all those years." Hans landed right in front of Jack and gripped his shirt collar, eyes piercing with anger. "This is the last time I'll see you interfere with my plans, or else I will kill your little girlfriend sooner than master intended. Are… we… clear?"

Jack nodded with a smirk on his face, gripping his staff tighter. "What would you do if I say no?"

Hans glared and glanced over to his minions, who eagerly bounced towards him. "End him. NOW."

With the little energy Jack had left, Jack slammed his staff onto the ground, having it create a huge burst of frost that flung the creatures a few meters away. Hans blocked his face with his arms, stunned by this last act of courage. He roared in angst as he watched Jack getting pulled by the wind, his little fairy friend tagging along with him.

"I WILL FIND YOU JACK FROST! AND WHEN I DO, YOU'LL BE **DEAD!"**

Jack didn't hear the tyrant as he passed out, with Baby Tooth desperately trying to wake him up. Elsa and her family were almost finishing up dinner when he crashed through the window. The queen was the first to hear him come in and she gasped, calling out his name as she rushed towards the bleeding guardian. This time, surprisingly, all eyes turned around.

**heheh... *slowly backs off and runs away* **


	10. Chapter 10

**You're welcome. x) I really couldn't leave my darlings like that... hope you enjoy! **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter ten: Then comes Heat_

* * *

No one moved for that moment. Nobody said a word. For the first time since Elsa's coronation, the Great Hall was so quiet you could hear a pen drop. Then she couldn't hold it in any longer. The Queen let out a frightened cry, reaching her arms forward as she ran to the beat-up guardian. It was loud, and painful, and echoed throughout the castle. Guards stopped their post to see what was going on.

"_Jack!_ Jack, what happened to you?" Elsa had never felt so afraid in her life before. Somebody hurt him. Her teacher. Her partner. Her friend. Somebody was going to pay. She quickly placed her trembling hands over his chest, letting out a relieved sigh to know that he was still breathing. Barely, but it was enough to comfort her. "Stay with me, Jack, please…"

The guardian let out a strangled cough as he struggled to get up, but Elsa pushed him back down. She felt the blood upon her fingers, the pain that Jack must've gone through. Whatever it was. "He's… he's going to kill you… I have to… I couldn't stop him…."

"L-lay down, Jack, please," Elsa turned to Lucia. "Someone, help him up! He needs assistance!"

"As you wish, my Queen." A guard bowed, and Lucia walked over to put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Where to?"

"My room." She ordered, to which the guard gave her a raised eyebrow.

"But your highness, the Hospital wing is—"

"That is my decision and you do what I say!" She screamed at him, hands raised and nostrils flaring. The guard visibly gulped as he obeyed her, a few more helping him out along with Lucia trailing behind.

Once they were out of sight, Elsa finally allowed herself to cry. She half expected to fall to the floor and weep, but she was caught in her sisters' arms. Anna comforted her like a mother would if her child got hurt, muttering soothing words to calm her. She even sang a lullaby, but not even that could heal the Queen's frozen heart. The two didn't know how long they stood there for, but everyone had left, aside from Kristoff, Olaf, Eugene, and Rapunzel.

"That was very brave, Elsa, what you did," Anna began, stroking her sister's cheek. "He's probably all better now, thanks to you."

Elsa sniffed and she glanced at her with sorrowful eyes, "I… I don't know what came over me. I-I just couldn't see him hurt like that anymore…"

Anna was going to chide her and say that she was in love, but it wouldn't help the situation right now. She sighed instead. "I know. Come on, do you want to go see him?"

"I'd rather kill the person who did that to him…" Elsa muttered as she got up, wiping her eyes. "B-but yes, I want to see him."

Anna looked back at Kristoff who nodded and took her in his arms, kissing her forehead lightly. The Queen stood up tall and left the room. "Leave her alone, she needs some space to think this over. I'm glad you helped."

"I can't imagine what could be going through her mind right now… I mean, they just met after so long! The least that could happen is that they realize their feelings for each other…" Anna muttered with a sniffle, hiding her face in Kristoff's chest.

Eugene chuckled at that comment as he placed an arm around Rapunzel. "It took me longer than I thought to realize this girl was the one for me. If that's not an act of true love, then I don't know what is."

Rapunzel nodded and placed a reassuring hand on Anna's shoulder. "I'm sure it'll get through her skull in time, don't worry. But right now…. right now she just needs to be with him."

The princess let out a sigh and nodded. "Thanks for staying here, you guys, I don't know how we'd fare without support…"

The ex-thief blushed at the praise and shook his head. "It's the least we can do, your highness. After all, if Blondie hadn't begged me to come back, we wouldn't have been able to meet such amazing people."

"I didn't 'beg' you, Eugene, I just asked you repeatedly." Rapunzel huffed, pushing him off her.

Eugene chuckled at her. "Whatever you say, dear."

Anna and Kristoff shared a smile before looking out to where Elsa had fled; they prayed that the worst was almost over.

Elsa fought a sigh as she watched Lucia tend to his wounds, and she shook her head. "You've done enough help around here, Lucia, allow me."

The servant looked shocked for a moment but she complied, stepping out of the room. "Y-yes, your highness. Um, if you need anything…?"

"Of course," She said to send her off. Lucia nodded.

She took the cloth from the bucket of water and placed it up against Jack's wound, shutting her eyes when he winced out in pain. He grasped her hand tight.

"Hey, come on, stop that. I don't need it."

Elsa glared at him. "Whatever happened to you Jack, it almost killed you! Please just let me clean your wounds…" He glared back at her through his pain-filled eyes, but he let his hands fall down to his side. "Thank you…"

Jack let out a cry when the water hit the infected bite, bringing his hands into his forehead. "Hold still, damnit!"

"It hurts, it hurts!"

"Yes, it does, but it'll help! Stay down, Jack…." She soothed, running her hand across his chest. He breathed rapidly, clenching his cheek as he tried to forget about the pain. God, she felt like she was addressing a child.

Jack obeyed her though, and as he calmed down a bit, he was able to see her face clearly. The world stopped spinning. The headache went away. He could see the way her hands gracefully went across his body, the way her beautiful, baby blue eyes were filled with worry and sorrow for him as she worked.

Wait.

He rubbed his forehead, trying to get rid of the fluttering feeling in his chest.

Beautiful?

He sighed and let his head fall back onto the pillow. Yes, they were without a doubt. And she was too, if he was behind honest with himself now. He had never met a girl like her in his lifetime—his onetime fling with Tooth didn't count. During their practices, he always knew that there was something about her that drew her to him, which made him question the very center of his existence. He was happy making the children laugh; it was what he lived for. But… this kind of happiness? The kind that made his stomach do flip-flops whenever she graced his presence? This was what he'd been missing out on. If Pitch sent that guy to get to her, he wouldn't have it. Right then he silently vowed to protect her with his life, no matter what situation they may be in. He vowed to be by her side forever, from this day forward, and to her last day. It's the least he could do, considering he started this whole mess.

"There," Her sweet, melodious voice sighed as she placed the cloth back in the bucket. "All done."

Jack looked down at his bruises to see that they were all cleaned, and he breathed out a sigh of relief. He chuckled. "I'm… sorry that our lesson has to be canceled today. Given that I kinda crashed your dinner…"

Elsa shook her head at him, "Oh, don't worry. It was getting quite boring anyways." She placed a hand over his forehead, ignoring the way shivers shot up her spine. "You don't feel warm, thank goodness. You'll be fine by tomorrow morning." She paused for a moment. "Could you tell me what happened? Why did you crash into the window and nearly give me a heart-attack?"

He smirked, trying to sit upright for a third time that hour, but she pushed him back down. "Ugh… um… last thing I remember… was that I saw smoke coming from a nearby village. I didn't know why, but all I knew was that I wanted to help the people who were in trouble. That's when… that's when I saw him…"

"Who, Jack? Was it Pitch?" She asked fearfully.

"Close," He sighed, "But, I think it was Hans. The guy who tried to marry your sister."

"W-what?!" Elsa exclaimed, eyes growing wide. _Th… that can't be! Hans should be in jail still, rotting away his sorry ass! That is… u-unless… _

"Yeah, I know. Pitch probably made a deal with Hans to get him out, since he had no one else to go to. And… supposedly… he has minions now. They were the ones who hurt me. I was no match for them, which caught me off guard. Hans could be anywhere by now." Jack muttered, voicing her thoughts.

"Oh no… this isn't what I expected at all…" Elsa groaned, letting her head fall onto the bed. "I'm so sorry, Jack."

He smiled and put his hand against her cheek. "Hey, I'm alive, aren't I? A few demons can't bring me down that easily. I'm a bloody guardian, for Manny's sake. I'll just let North know now, and—"

Elsa pointed a firm finger at him, "You are staying here tonight, mister, don't test me."

"But I have to warn—"

"You'll do that tomorrow morning, Jack. First you need to heal up and get some rest." Why was she doing this? Why was she so… concerned of his welfare? This couldn't be… she couldn't be in love with him, could she?

Elsa let out a tired sigh and stood up, nodding over to the door. "I'm leaving. Call me if you need anything, and my servants will come and get me."

"Hey, Elsa," Jack croaked out, licking his lips. _Come on, man, why are you so nervous? CALM DOWN. _She turned, leaning over to him. He didn't say anything at all and just kissed her nose, smirking at a flustered Elsa. "That was for caring about me. No one has ever done that before."

"Oh," She gasped out, turning a bright shade of pink. "Uhm… y-you're welcome." She didn't look back at him and scurried out of that room, slamming the door behind her. She stayed there for a few moments to try and clear her head, but for some reason she couldn't. Not this time. And she didn't think ever.

"Elsa?" Anna asked her, coming up slowly. She raised a suspicious eyebrow. "You… okay?"

_**If there's a prize… for rotten judgment, **_

_**I guess I already won that **_

_**No man is worth the aggravation, **_

_**If anything you've taught me that **_

Anna folded her arms. "Oh come on, who do you think you're kidding? I saw what happened in there! He was drooling over you! Literally! I can see right through you… I've been seeing right through you!" She smirked and began to sing along with her.

_I know how ya feel and who you're thinking of _

_**Oh no, whoa…**_

_You've got it so bad__**! **_

_**No chance, no way, I won't say it, no, no **_

_You swoon, you sigh, don't deny it, wa-ohh _

"A-anna!" Elsa giggled as she got away from her, and the two ran down the hallway.

_**It's too cliché **_

_** I won't say I'm in love **_

As she went through the halls with the many pictures, she placed her hands on her forehead.

_**All those years I've been learning… **_

_**To conceal my emotions and not to feel them **_

_**Well it looks like Father was wrong **_

_**Because my head is screaming get a grip, girl… **_

_**Unless you're dying to cry your heart out **_

This time Rapunzel had caught up to them, much to the annoyance of Eugene. Kristoff chuckled at him and leaned against the wall while they sang together. Olaf did the tango with Sven.

_You keep on denying _

_Who you are and how you're feeling _

_Baby, we're not buying _

_Hon, we saw ya hit the ceiling _

_Face it like the Queen you are_

_When you gotta own up _

_Then ya, got, got, got it bad_

Elsa shook her head solemnly while Anna ran an exasperated hand through her fingers. She was running out of options fast.

_**Whoa, no chance, no way **_

_**I won't say it, no, no **_

_**This scene, won't play, **_

_**I won't say I'm in love**_

Anna desperately grasped her hands.

_You're doing flips, read our lips, _

_YOU'RE IN LOVE. _

_**You're way off base **_

_**I won't say it **_

_**Get off my case **_

_**I won't say it **_

Rapunzel shook her head and let out a laugh.

_Girl don't be proud, it's okay, _

_You're in love_

As Elsa allowed herself to fall backwards onto the couch, her sister was literally jumping with excitement at the success she was given. Lucia handed her a flower that they have been trying to pass on, and Elsa took it, smelling its beautiful fragrance.

_**Oh… **_

_**At least out loud, **_

_**I won't say I'm in… **_

_**Love~**_

0o0o0o0o0o

"You… you did what?!" Pitch roared at Hans, fists balling in anger.

The ex-prince snorted. "I'd say I'm sorry, but Jack deserved it. He messed with my plans!"

"You _fool!_ You weren't supposed to lay a filthy paw on him until I gained power! That's what we settled on! And you think you have the nerve to interrupt my flow of ideas?!"

He shared a look with his minion, and folded his arms. "You should at least give me some lee-way. I just wanted the chance to feel… feel superior to someone for once. I never got the chance to do that before."

Pitch groaned as he flew away from him, muttering curses under his breath. "Alright, alright! I'll let this… this blunder slide, you idiotic ball of slime. At least this'll scare the guardians, giving me an extra boost of power… I can… feel the fear coming into my soul already." He reasoned, more to himself than to Hans. "Go, leave me alone. You've done enough today. There's a meal waiting for you downstairs."

Hans laughed and clapped his hands. "YEAH!" He exclaimed, grabbing a minion to share dinner with him.

Pitch rolled his eyes as he watched him go, already feeling the headache starting up. _When I see the guardians tremble in fear, and I ditch that fool, _He thought to himself, a wicked smile spreading across his face. _Then this'll be all worth it. _He sighed after that resolution, and he became one with the shadows.


	11. Chapter 11

**This chapter can get a little scary for younger viewers, so I advise to read at your own risk. I'm tempted to change the rating up to 'M' because of it, but I guess I'll see what you guys think. I think I've spoiled you guys long enough with my cheesy humor, it's time Pitch gets his moment of glory. ;) *blocks self with ice-made shield* I REGRET NOTHING! **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter eleven: From the darkest of visions…_

* * *

At first, Elsa wasn't aware that she was dreaming. But when she slowly felt like she was falling endlessly, just falling without meeting the ground, she knew. She wasn't in her castle. Nor was she with Anna. She was stuck in her own subconscious mind, and she had to face her fears. It's been holding onto her ever since this nightmare began.

"_Kristoff… Anna?" She called out, seeing nothing but dark hallways. "Hello? Is there anybody here?" _

"_Elsa…" A familiar, sexy voice answered her, much to her surprise. She smiled. _

"_Jack!" _

"_Hello, my Queen." He chuckled, and walked up to her. He put his hand on her cheek. She didn't push him away. However… there was something different about this Jack than the others she'd dreamed of in her other dreams. He looked… mysterious. Not that she minded it. _

"_Jack… what's going on? Where is everyone?" She asked him, looking around the room again. Still, there was nobody. Not even the sound of the grandfather clock stirred. _

"_Anywhere," He said cryptically, his gaze intense. "But right now I'm where I need to be."  
_

_Elsa took a few steps away from him fearfully. "J-jack…. Tell me what's going on, please. I'm scared." _

_He laughed at her as if she said a joke. "Scared? You're with your guardian. You know I'll protect you from anything."  
_

"_Y-yes, but…. Mmmph!" She gasped, her sentence muffled as he pressed his lips up against hers. Surely, she wanted her first kiss to be wonderful, but not like this. She didn't want to be frightened and unsure of herself. It was out of character. Unfortunately, she felt like she couldn't move. She was completely frozen in place, as she let him caress her body, his icy fingers not making her feel warm at all. Usually they did; that's when she knew something was wrong. She stared at him in shock as he now kissed her neck, moving up, and up, until he stopped at her lower lip. _

_I… I can't be feeling aroused by this! She thought desperately, cowering under the unnatural glow in his eyes. I… I… I know I love him but this wasn't what I wanted! _

_She let out a cry while he smirked and went back to what he was doing, taking off her sleeves in the process. He didn't stop either when the entire first half of her dress was off, leaving her bare shoulders in the cold. She stared at him in horror. _

"_Are you… enjoying this treatment, dearest Elsa?" _

_That voice… now she knew for sure this wasn't Jack. _

"_No!" She spat, breaking free of his grasp and struggled to pull her dress up. It wouldn't. _

_He chuckled at her foolishness. "Oh silly Elsie, what would your friends think of you now? They'd probably be so disappointed… but… it's unfortunate that they won't be able to tell you… considering that they're already dead."  
_

_Her eyes grew wide as the scene quickly changed, and she saw a broken battlefield, with many fallen soldiers. However, three stood out to the Queen. Anna lay beside Kristoff, her hands wrapped around her stomach as she cried out in pain. Beside them, although it hurt her to see, was Jack. His hair was no longer white, but brown, and he was without his staff. Blood gushed out from his shoulder, the place where the creature from the Dark Ages bit him. _

"_I don't think I've formally introduced myself to you. My name is Pitch Black, or you might know me by many other names." Pitch snickered as he flew next to her, but Elsa didn't see. She just collapsed at the sight of her fallen sister. _

"_ANNA!" She wailed, taking Anna's hand into hers. The princess didn't respond to her though, as she just continued to cry out. _

"_She can't hear you, just to let you know." _

_Elsa turned around to face him, tears streaming down her cheeks. "WHAT…. DID… YOU…DO?!" _

"_Me?" He asked innocently, "Why, it's not a question of what I did do, but of what I will do… if you aren't careless, that is." _

_She glared at him, and used any energy she had left to smash him with her powers. He just swerved to the other side of her, though, not at all fazed. "You can't hurt me, wittle girl." He said with a teasing smirk. "I am far more powerful than you. Truthfully… once I kill Jack Frost along with the other guardians, my work would be done. But… you'd make an excellent sex toy, if I may be blunt." _

_Those words sent shivers down her spine. "Like hell I'd let you touch me." _

_Pitch scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Um, you kind of did only a few seconds ago. But… none of that for now. I just wanted to give you a little warning, to let you know that I will always be here. I AM FEAR, Elsa, and no matter how hard you try to get rid of me, something will always bring me back to you. Because you are a piece of me." _

_Elsa shook her head. "NO! YOU'RE WRONG! YOU HAVE TO BE!" _

_The beast checked his wrist as if he had a watch there. "Well, it was nice chatting with you and learning your weaknesses, but I better get going. Hans is probably worried sick now. Remember what I said, dearest Elsie." _

"_STOP CALLING ME THAT! __**LEAVE ME ALONE!"**_

_Her cries pierced the heavens as he went away, and she fell to the floor sobbing. Next thing she knew, all she saw was darkness, and the boogeyman wasn't there to haunt her. _

"Oh… my… god…" she heard a voice say, and Elsa bolted upright until her head hit the wall. She couldn't wipe away her tears with one hand, but she was just too scared and frightened to lift the other. She didn't notice her sister was by the bedside until she pushed her away.

"A-anna…" She whimpered, reaching out for her now.

"Elsa, what happened to you? Oh, never mind, whatever it is, I'm here." Anna soothed, cradling her for the second time that night. "Stop crying… it's all over…remember what mother always said? It was just a nightma—"

"Pitch… h-he's going to kill you to get to me…! I-I can't… I won't let that happen!"

"Elsa… easy… it's okay…" Anna soothed, rubbing her shoulder. The Queen whimpered and rubbed her eyes. She didn't say anything as her sister comforted her, for there was nothing she really could speak of. All she needed was Anna.

Jack heard her from the very first whimper. His heart ached as he suddenly felt the pain she was experiencing, as if he was right there with her. He groaned and sat up, his shoulders still sore from his bruises. Baby Tooth fluttered out of his pocket and she glanced at him mournfully, saddened by the fact that she couldn't do anything.

"You've gone and done it now, Frost." He muttered, leaning against his staff. He shook his head as he slowly walked out of the room, sending a pillar of snow at the door hinge. Jack glared at the floor while he walked down the hallways; he didn't know where he was headed off to, but all he knew was that he couldn't sleep.

"…And then what did you see?" Anna's soft voice echoed through his ears, causing him to stop right before the room of paintings.

"Just… a desolate battlefield. My entire life flashed before my eyes, Anna. I didn't know what was going on, until I saw you screaming, and… a-a-and Pitch…"

Jack sighed and fell to the floor, letting his hoodie cover his face.

Kristoff was just on his way to check on Anna and bring her to bed when he saw the guardian. He was still awe-struck over the fact that his childhood hero was standing before him, but given the circumstances, he kept his wits. Olaf gave him a silent nod, encouraging to move on. He kneeled down to become eye level with Jack, placing his arm around his shoulder. "Everything alright, bud?"

He shook his head. "I… I felt her pain. I knew she was in trouble and I just… I couldn't save her. I tried to, I really did, but Pitch… she's afraid of him now more than she believes in me…"

Kristoff sighed and moved over so he could be in the same position as him. "You shouldn't assume things like that, you know. It could be the other way around."

Jack bitterly laughed. "Even if it was, would that change things?"

The father-to-be stayed silent.

"Well… I mean…" Olaf started, in an effort to fill in. "Elsa's been through so much… and instead of dwelling over what might happen, why don't you… change that, and ask her?" Kristoff glanced at him in surprise, not saying anything. There were a few rare moments when Olaf actually did give out good advice. The snowman just wanted to help out in the best way he possibly could.

"Ask her what?" Jack muttered, scrunching up his shoulders.

Olaf gave him a flat look. "Oh I don't know, maybe if she harbors the same feelings as you, or what she had to go through when Pitch turned her dream into a nightmare, or if she loves you back because that would really help our situation right nao—" Jack's eyes grew wide as he closed the snowman's mouth with his hand. He continued to list of suggestions, but his voice was muffled.

Kristoff chuckled and nodded. "He's right, by the way. Elsa's too stubborn and scared right now to admit her feelings. If she acted that way when you kissed her, there's no way she'll be able to bounce back. My advice, tell it to her bluntly. Don't even sugarcoat it."

Jack banged his head against the wall as he sighed, debating his options.

Olaf folded his arms. "If you don't tell her I will."

The guardian gave him a flat look. "No you wouldn't. You don't look the type."

"I wouldn't doubt him if I were you," Kristoff warned, placing a hand to block Olaf from hearing. "He has a really bad record."

Jack laughed at them and stretched his arms, letting Kristoff help him up. "Thanks for talking with me… I'll think about what you said. So far, this has been a really strange experience for me."

"You and me both." Kristoff chuckled, nodding over to Anna, who was already sleeping by her sister's side.

He smiled and, taking one last longing glance at Elsa, he flew on his staff back to bed.

0o0o0o0o0o

"Strange… very strange indeed," Grandpabbie muttered, shifting through his many scrolls from his workshelf. "I've never seen magic quite like this, not since Elsa froze your wife's heart…"

Kristoff hopefully looked over his shoulder. "So, you might know what's going on with her? You might find a solution as to why she keeps having these nightmares?"

The elder troll shook his head. "A solution? No. A cause? Simple."

He raised his eyebrows for a few moments as he went back and forth on his feet, unsure of what to say to pass the time. As he glanced around the small hut, he noticed things that he remembered throughout his childhood. There were empty bottles hung from the ceiling, and numerous amounts of vines draping across the walls. In the center of everything, was a cauldron, and a desk placed in the corner.

"Ahh…. I found it."

"What? Found what?" Kristoff asked excitedly, only to frown when his caretaker held something that he was not looking for.

"Heh, heh, here's my wife's grass skirt. And she thought it got lost in the river." He smiled and placed the item across the wooden desk.

Kristoff gave him a flat look, but he continued talking anyway. "Now, Kristoff, I'm sure you are aware of the danger that your wife is in. Elsa and Anna are connected in more ways than one, and that's why Pitch is able to get to Elsa's nightmares. He threatened to kidnap Anna and not Jack, because he knew when Elsa stops believing in him to worry about Anna, he'll run out of power. It's… a devious plan, one that I haven't heard in centuries, but it'll work. His believer, that Hans of the Southern Isles, is the crux of our issue. How are we going to take him out? To that… I have no idea. All we have to do right now is wait and run as fast as we can when disaster strikes. I… appreciate that you came to me with this son, and I'll do my best to find a resolution quickly. It seems like an act of true love wouldn't save us now."

He sighed and nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Thanks for your help, Grandpabbie." As he was about to leave, something came to him, as he remembered his conversation with Jack earlier that day. "Hey… Grandpabbie? I was just wondering… hypothetically… would a guardian and a mortal ever be able to fall in love, and stay together? I'm just curious."

The elder troll glanced at him squarely. "It's happened once before, Kristoff, but these circumstances aren't the same. It takes an extraordinary amount of strength and courage to face up to something you fear, but you also have to overcome that same fear to change your fate. Only Jack and Elsa can decide if they're truly willing to give up everything." He gave out a long, tired sigh. "Now, shoo, I have a yoga course to attend to in a few minutes. This place needs to be cleared out." Kristoff chuckled at his antics and walked out, nearly hitting his head on the small ceiling.

"Kristoff! Kristoff, are ya leaving now?" A baby troll with a female voice asked, grabbing onto his arm. He chuckled at her.

"Yeah sweetie, I have to go home and feed the wife. She's been asking for chocolate again." He answered her. "Don't you have anything better to do than hang on me?"

"Nope," She giggled, but she got off him and rolled to the floor. "Bye big brother! See you soon!"

Kristoff waved at his family and called over Sven, who was currently enjoying a few trolls who braided his hair. He gave his owner a sheepish grin as he shook them off, allowing him to step on his back. If he wasn't kidding himself, he could've sworn he saw black dust coming from the small hut he grew up in.


	12. Chapter 12

**A Sebastian-centric chapter is long overdue, so I figured now's the perfect time to place what was going on through his mind when Pitch broke Hans out of the cells. Oh, and I apologize about the age confusion... it was really late and my fingers were typing faster than my brain was working. So, I actually did math for once and I realized that Elsa is actually four years older than Anna (thanks for helping me out, Elsaba...and Vans *grins sheepishly*) she's actually 26 when chapter 2 starts, and 8 when she met Jack, so then that means there's roughly about an 18 year timeskip. movie-verse wise, only two- three years passed. I better stop typing now before I mess myself up again, heh, that would be really idiotic... *awkwardly nods to any remaining viewers to read the chapter and ignore me...* **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter twelve: In which fear becomes your friend_

* * *

He wasn't sure if it was snowing outside right then, or maybe it was his imagination. The cells suddenly got a lot colder than they usually did. Sebastian shook his head and rubbed his shoulders, looking around him to see if anyone noticed his discomfort. Lucky for him, they were too busy talking or trying to keep warm themselves.

He coughed and excused himself from the dorms, ignoring anyone who waved him goodbye. He didn't care anyways. The guard shuddered as he listened to the eerie echo his feet made whenever they paced across the gravel flooring. His mind was screaming at him to leave this place, to run away from it and never come back, but he was just frozen. He had to be here. There was no escape, and there never will be.

_A young boy giggled as his father straightened his arms. "Like this, dad?" _

_The man nodded. "Perfect son! Now, see that target over there?" _

"_Uh-huh." _

"_Make sure you don't miss it. Aim gun right in the center." _

_The child grinned and carefully lifted his weapon, pulling back its trigger. Time seemed to slow as he watched the bullet piece the red dot mercilessly, causing it to fall down to the grass. _

"_Ha, that's how you do it! You're going to be a brilliant knight one day, just like your grandfather!" He cheered, picking his son up in his arms. _

"_But you're good too, dad!" Sebastian chided, shaking his head. _

"_Aw, thanks boy, but I learned from the best. His skills are no match for me, god rest his soul. He could kill a villain within a few-feet radius!" _

_The young child awed at his story. _

Sebastian glared as he continued to make his rounds, stopping when a prisoner called him out. He stopped to face the elder woman.

"Did… did you find my husband? Please, he could bail me out and tell you what really happened!" She exclaimed desperately, her old face scrunching up in pain.

He sighed, giving her a straight face, "Ma'am, you've been in here for over a century. He's dead by now, you should move on with your life." He internally flinched. That was stupid advice and he knew it.

The poor woman cried. "Please, please, I'm begging you, I'm innocent! These cells… they're filled with so much fear! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY LONGER!"

Sebastian droned out her voice and walked onward.

"_What did you want to show me, Sebbie? Your father warned you about waking me up in the middle of the night, you know." His mother said sternly. "I need to sleep for your little sister." She added, placing a hand over her stomach. _

_The young child stubbornly pointed a finger to the training area. "Aw, but I want to show you something! Come on, come on, it'll be so cool!" _

_The mother giggled and smiled, letting herself be pulled by him. "Alright, alright. Now show me before I change my mind." _

_Sebastian didn't say anything as he just took out his gun from the table, and pointed a button to activate the training arena. Now, at first the mother was sketchy about letting it out in the open like this, where he can reach it at any time. The boy was still so young, and he had so much to learn about the laws of fighting—something could go wrong at any moment. _

_However, as she watched his confident, beaming face she let her doubts wash away for that one time being, just to humor him. _

_He called out her name as he admiringly hit target after target, each one dead in the center. All those years of practicing one on one and this is what it led to. Then there was the final episode. A red target came crashing down on him to the left, causing him to actually be blindsided for the first time. He slipped, and pulled the trigger, the bullet getting thrown to god-knows-where. That one tiny malfunction caused the entire training ground to collapse, and fall on top of him. _

"_Sebastian!" The mother cried out, her voice breaking. The noise awoke the father and he rushed to see what was going on. "Oh, my baby, where are you?!" _

_The little boy poked his head out from underneath the rubble, wincing at his bruised hand. "M-mommy... I'm sorry, mommy, I… I couldn't hit it…"  
_

_She felt tears sting her eyes as she climbed over the rubble to take him in her arms. "Oh, it's okay baby boy, I'm just glad you're alright. Don't scare me like that ever again, mister. Do you hear me?"  
_

_The father let out a sigh of relief and ran his fingers through his hair. "I think he hears you loud and clear, honey. Come on, Seb, its past your bed time. Best go to sleep now." _

_Sebastian hung his head in shame. "Yes, dad… goodnight…" He muttered, and dropped the empty gun into the rubble. _

"_Throw this crap away, I didn't approve of it the moment you made it." He heard his mother say, and a strike against the cheek. _

Sebastian was almost finished with his rounds when he stopped, and he leaned against the wall. What the hell is he doing here? What can he possibly gain from all this? All his life, he thought that becoming a guard would make up for his past mistakes—he could protect and save people worth saving. He didn't expect that becoming sheltered was a part of the job description.

For the first time in a long while, the deranged guard let himself cry. And only the master of fear himself was there to witness it.

"Never mind him, Hans, we have business to take care of."

"And then you could get me something to eat, right?"

"Of course. You keep your end of the deal I keep mine. It seems only fair, doesn't it?"


	13. Chapter 13

**heyo! I suggest listening to "_Use Somebody_" by Kings of Leon when you read this chapter. ;) I am obsessed with that song. OBSESSED, I tell you! x) **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter thirteen: Heartfelt confessions, and suspicious sneaking_

* * *

Anna for once, woke up before her elder sister. Normally she would've slept in until noon time until Lucia or Kai banged on the door to drag her out of bed. However the baby within her needed food, and she kicked herself mentally for not finishing dinner the night before.

She yawned as she struggled to get up, and glanced own at Elsa's sleeping face. Her eyebrows were narrowed and her lips were turned in a thin line, as if she was suffering from another nightmare. She didn't scream though, nor did she make a sound. Anna sighed. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help her sister; she hoped that Kristoff came back with answers.

"Everything okay?" Speaking of which… Anna smiled at her husband, and reached out to grab his hand.

"Yeah, she just has a tight grip. The baby's… the baby's hungry again." She muttered with a blush.

He chuckled at her, kissing her cheek when she was finally in his arms again. "We'll get Kai to give you some food—Lucia's probably asleep right now, seeing how Danny was really scared when Jack showed up."

Anna frowned. "Is he okay? I feel really bad he had to see that."

Kristoff nodded as they walked out of the hall of paintings. "He'll be fine… he's a tough kid. He'd be a nice bodyguard to our little girl…. If we have one, anyways."

"Or _boy_friend," Anna snickered, emphasizing on the word 'boy'. Kristoff's eyes went wide, just picturing the horror of it all.

"Please, Anna, let me just deal with your insane mood swings for now. I don't think I can live through that." He muttered, to which she smiled lovingly.

"Aww, I can just imagine you being overprotective of her. 'Hey, no kissing under my roof, okay guys?!'" She mimicked, making her voice sound deep and masculine. "'But daddy, I love him!'"

Kristoff raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm just going to drown you out now. You're starting to distract me."

Anna didn't say anything in return as she just laughed, her giggles echoing the quiet hour. Kai peeked his head out of the kitchen when they saw him, and he gave the couple a dubious look.

"Your highness, what are you doing up so late?" He questioned her, but he let them in.

"It's only one in the morning," Anna shrugged, and Kristoff shook his head.

"She's hungry, Kai, think you can whip something up?"

He smiled and bowed. "Anything for the princess, is there something in particular you're craving?"

"Uhm…" Anna placed a hand on her stomach. "Do you still have the shrimp left over from earlier today?"

Kai shuddered as he remembered the first encounter. Anna at the time had practically screamed when the smell of it came near to her, and threw the entire bowl onto his head. Lucia tried to keep a straight face when she saw him like that—it didn't help that her son was already laughing his butt off at his misfortune. He glanced over at Kristoff who gave him a weary sigh and a nod, to which he reluctantly agreed to make her the snack.

"Yes, I do your highness, I'll cook it now." He assured her, letting out a sigh of relief when she squealed happily.

After the shrimp was given out, and Kai finally went to sleep, Kristoff and Anna made their way back to where Elsa was. "It's a given that you'll probably hate me for giving you that in the next few hours, so I'll keep a trash can by our bed." He warned her, chuckling when she pushed him away.

"You make it sound like I'm an emotional time-bomb," Anna sneered at him, stuffing shrimp in his mouth.

He sputtered. "That all but proves my point, fisteypants." She rolled her eyes.

The mother-to-be was about to call him out for that, when she heard Elsa's scream. Anna gasped and chucked the bowl into Kristoff's hands, not looking back at him as she ran over to comfort her sister. "Elsa! Elsa, wake up, Elsa! It's just another bad dream!" She exclaimed, desperately taking her hands. They felt so cold… She glanced back at her husband. "Please tell me you found a remedy when you went to visit Grandpabbie?"

He just stared at her.

"Anna… no, Anna, _NO!" _Elsa sobbed, putting her hands to her forehead. "You can't be dead, I can't be a monster!"

"E-e-elsa, please, I'm right here, and I'm alive. Wake up."

"Th-the baby?" She whimpered, refusing to open her eyes. "I-I-It's not…"

"The baby's fine too, Elsa, see?" Anna shakily took Elsa's hand and placed it on her stomach, so she could feel. The Queen was still panicking when she woke up, but as soon as she saw her sister, she let out another wail and wrapped her arms around her.

Kristoff backed off. "I… I should… probably go…"

Anna shook her head. "No, Kristoff. We're a family, and we have to support each other together. Please, I need you." Sighing, the large man complied, and went over to kneel down next to his wife. "See, Elsa? Kristoff's here too."

She giggled at him, "What's that annoying smell?"

"Shrimp," He answered her, "The baby was hungry again." He took the bowl out of his hands and placed it on the floor so he could grasp her hand. Anna smiled at him before turning back to her sister.

"What was the dream about this time? What happened?" She asked her, to which Elsa turned paler than usual.

"Anna…. I… I can't tell you."

She shook her head. "Please, Elsa, don't do it for me but for the sake of my baby… I-I can't stand seeing you like this anymore. I'm hurt too_,_ Elsa." She sniffed, unable to wipe her tears since she had her hands comforting her sister. Kristoff leaned over to do it. "Please…"

Closing her eyes, Elsa couldn't stop the tears either as she sat up to face her. _I'm so scared… _She thought with a frown, _I've never been so terrified in my life before… Jack… Kristoff… Anna… Pitch is using them to get to ME…. why, why is it always me that has to suffer?! What is it that I have to do to make the terrible memory go away?! _She sighed when she remembered a most recent one, when she openly made that pledge to Anna. She promised to protect her with her life. At the time Anna didn't know what she was referring to. It's about time she did. It's the whole crux of the situation, either way.

"Anna… I'm going to tell you something that… I should've told you a long time ago."

Jack, who knew the story and had woken up by her cries, stopped in his step to listen. "Come on, Elsie. Don't conceal it anymore. It's not worth it."

Anna raised her eyebrow.

"Please don't… hate me for this. Just know that Mama and Papa did it to protect you." She took a deep breath, "When… we were little, you knew I had ice powers. You loved them; ever night after mama told us stories about Jack Frost, you would ask me to play with you. So I did. But then… one day…" Anna nodded her head to keep her going, causing Elsa to sniffle. "One day… I made a mistake. My powers are at its best when they are controlled by happiness and joy and freedom, which is what Jack taught me how to do. Y-you were playing too fast for me, Anna. I got really scared and thought I was going to hurt you, a-a-and that fear just took over. I was about to make another pillar for you to jump on, until I hit your head instead…. And that's how you got that blonde streak of hair."

Kristoff stared at her in shock as she told the story, eyes growing wide as the revelation hit him. "Y-you mean… you were the family that went to visit my grandpabbie all those years ago? That's why he had to erase Anna's memories of you?" he didn't say this with spite, or anger; he was just trying to figure it out.

Elsa regrettably nodded. "Yes… it's why I shut you out all those years Anna, and its why, even now after so long, I was terrified when you announced that you were having my little niece or nephew. And… its why I can't confess my love for Jack, because I know I'll just hurt him anyway. I'm just so scared, Anna."

Jack's eyes grew as wide as saucers then. "Wait, what?" he whispered, a smile spreading across his face.

"Oh, Elsa," Anna said after a long time. She spread out her arms to hug her again. "Its okay, the past doesn't have to effect who you are now, Elsa. Everyone's always scared. It's a part of life—you can't run from it, but you can't become it. You have to overcome your fear, Elsa, and from what you've been through, all I can say is how proud I am right now to call you my sister. You've been through so much and still you think so little of yourself. Stop it. I don't hate you, Elsa, and I never did. I was just… so confused as to why you did what you did. But now that I know… that doesn't change anything. I still love you, Elsa, is that what you wanted to hear?"

The Queen let out a sigh of relief, giving her a small smile. "I love you too, Anna. You don't know how long I've been longing to hear you say that."

She smiled at her. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

Elsa giggled, and looked over at Kristoff for an answer. He yawned. "You guys go on, I'm going to sleep. This is going to be the first time I am without my wife, and I'm going to relish it."

Anna pouted. "You're mean."

"You'll love me in the morning!" He called out to her, waving from behind.

Jack chuckled at the three and hid when Kristoff walked by him, using the open window as a chance to escape. Baby Tooth smirked at him as she flew out of his pocket. _She loves me… she really does love me back! _He exclaimed; that smile never left his face. _This is amazing! _He laughed as he ran across the roof of the castle, praising Manny for letting him met such a wonderful woman. He stopped by the training area to visit Kitty, who roared in greeting.

"You think I should tell her, girl?"

Even though the beast had no idea what he was talking about, she still nodded. He smiled at his friend.


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry, sorry, sorry! xp I'll be slower with my updates now that I'm back at school... if only snow could give me a couple more days off... *mumbles* So, yeah, I don't own the song used in this chapter ;) that's all for now, hope you guys enjoy! **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter fourteen: To try is only half the battle_

* * *

Pitch's evil smirk cascaded down towards the desolate city his minions just destroyed. Hans surprisingly proved to be the perfect person for this sort of thing, as long as he was given food or something worth his time in return. And ever since the boogeyman came into Elsa's nightmares, he felt stronger than ever. It was only a matter of time the other guardians would find out, and when it was, he would be ready.

Hans glanced over to him and waved with one hand, a trail of blood trickling down his neck from the dirty work. He chuckled at his prize and waved back. _Only a few more days, my pet. Then you'll be free and I'll reign for real this time around. Nobody will get in my way this time, not even that little whore of a Queen. She'll be the last to go. _As Pitch thought, he felt his power grow more and more than before, and his nightmare horse roared in anticipation. It could hardly wait either.

"Alright, we're going to a picnic!"

Everyone stopped eating when they heard Anna's excited remark. Jack and Elsa shared a weird look before they turn to Kristoff, who just shrugged.

"Uhh… all of us?" Elsa asked her, mentioning to the rest of the table.

Anna giggled and shook her head. "No, silly, you, Jack, me, Kristoff, Eugene, and Rapunzel. We've been talking about having a day off for a while, and now's the perfect time to do it!" She nodded over to Sir Aaron. "I'm putting him in charge for the morning, along with Kai as second-in-command."

The nobleman stared at her in bewilderment. "But your highness, I don't know the first thing about looking after a castle, let alone your subjects. I'm a humble nobleman, not a king."

Jack snickered as he was about to drink his milk. "And here I thought he'd never realize it." Elsa kicked him underneath the table, causing the Spirit to nearly choke on whatever he sipped up. Kristoff smirked at the two.

Rapunzel decided to speak up then to break the awkward silence, although she was hiding in laughter of her own. "Oh, I think that would be a lovely idea. Especially what with everything that's happened so far…" She answered cryptically, and Eugene glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He could tell something else was up from the way she mumbled that last bit, but he didn't say anything about it.

Anna giggled and pumped her fist in victory. "Yay! Okay, guys, we'll all meet up behind the castle in a few minutes, by Jack and Elsa's training grounds."

Once breakfast was finished, Jack trailed slowly behind Elsa. He noticed something was off about her, as if she was… scared of his presence. What happened in that dream? What could he have done that was so terrible? If anything, he knew he didn't like this shy, secluded version of his friend. He knew he would do whatever he can to make her smile again, no matter how long it took him.

Snickering to himself, Jack conjured up a tiny snowball about the size of his hands. He hopped onto the wall and aimed for her head, expecting it to hit her neck at least. However Elsa stopped and turned around before it could, freezing the snowball in its place, and creating an even bigger one. She smirked at him. "Come on, Jack, you should know by now I caught all your tricks."

The Spirit of Fun chuckled, leaning against his staff. "Really? Well then, consider this a test. Show me exactly what you learned in our lessons so far on our way to the picnic."

Elsa was about to open her mouth to retort when she heard Olaf and Sven burst through the big doors, each baring a huge grin on their faces. "Last one out side is a pile of yellow snow!"

She giggled and ran after them, keeping an eye out for Jack all the while. On his end, he could still see that she was stressed out from before; he could only hope that things will get better from here on out.

Anna shook her head when Kristoff struggled with carrying all the things necessary for the picnic, and reached out to help him. "Here, Kris, let me help you with that."

He groaned, but let her take the blanket drooping across his shoulder, knowing that she would be just as stubborn as ever. "Thanks," He muttered, "I think here is about fine. Why do you want to do this picnic again?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, one word honey: Jelsa."

"What?"

She threw her hands up in the air, her face beaming in delight. "This is our chance to get them together! You and I both know that those two dummies are too scared to admit it! We'll let them hang out with each other after we eat, and get them to realize their feelings for one another! It'll be _perfect!"_

He chuckled at her and placed the picnic basket on the ground. "I guess this diabolical side of you is picking up because of the little blob of goo in there, eh?"

Anna folded her arms over her stomach, offended. Rapunzel and Eugene shared a knowing look.

Meanwhile, Jack and Elsa had just made it outside of the castle. The guardian was flying beside her, forming a snowball in his hands as he froze what he touched. Elsa giggled as she formed an ice structure into a miniature sled, and used it to skate ahead of him. Sven and Olaf were right behind them.

"You really think you guys could beat us?" Jack called out to the two, smirking as Olaf raised his stick arm in protest.

"C'mon Sven, lets kick their icy butts!" The reindeer nodded and focused his eyes on the picnic.

Elsa glared at him while he chuckled, "What? You know how to attack back-handedly."

"Oh yeah." She smirked and with a grunt, used the remaining ice she had on the bottom of her sleigh to trip Jack, causing him to fall in the grass. Icicles formed around his body.

"THAT WAS UNESSESARY!"

"I know, but it made me feel better!" She laughed, smiling at Olaf as he was now at her shoulder.

Anna and Kristoff stopped arguing to see them running towards the picnic, and Jack collapsed on the ground. The princess slapped her head.

"This is going to be such a long day…"

Sven and Olaf actually made the picnic area first, but to Elsa and Jack, they were too focused on their bet to notice. Jack's eyes narrowed as he used his staff to break himself free, flying over to where the Queen was. Her sled wasn't properly built as she didn't have much time to get the breaks working, so she didn't notice one of the wheels falling off. He chuckled and grabbed her waist, Elsa only noticing for one split second as they fell off the rickety sled, (which collapsed beside the training area, causing Kitty to check out what was going on) and they tumbled into the grassy snow.

"Oof!"

"J-jack!"

"What?"

"I was just about to reach the picnic!"

"Well, too bad, because I stopped you."

"That's cheating!"

"No, I'm using my resources to benefit my survival. Which it did."

"You're insufferable!"

"Marry me."

"Huh…?"

"_Hey!" _Anna's voice called out, and both turned to face her. "Come on you two, we have everything all set up! You can kiss later!"

Elsa blushed violently as she pushed herself off of Jack, folding her arms tight. "I would rather kiss Sven than this blubbering idiot."

"That hurts, sweetheart." He pouted, although on the inside that comment stung him more than it should've. Elsa rolled her eyes at him, mumbling as she made her way to sit next to Anna, far away from her object of affections as possible.

The meal went smoothly after that, aside from Anna's not-exactly-slight remarks on what Jack and Elsa should do for the rest of the day, while the others go for a 'walk' around the gardens. The one thing that stood out to the couple was going out onto the lake with a boat. Elsa hasn't yet since The Great Thaw, and she wanted to experience it now before she couldn't. Jack happily obliged to take her, with a nod of encouragement from Anna and Kristoff.

Elsa, on the other hand, was nervous about being alone with him. She stayed behind to talk with her sister as he walked ahead.

"Hey, why aren't you going with him? Now is your chance."

"Anna…" She whimpered, "I know this whole thing was just to get me and Jack together… I-I want it, really badly, but I'm just so scared… I'm scared I'll hurt him…"

The princess sighed, taking her hands into hers. "You _won't,_ Elsa. You haven't before, and there's no way you'll do it now. Come on, we've believed in you so many times, but you have to believe in yourself too. You remember the Queen who faced off a bunch of bad guys singlehandedly? Where was that Elsa?"

"I was scared then as well, Anna…" She bit her tongue though, and sighed. She smiled at her. "I guess she's still here…"

Rapunzel nodded in approval, barely hiding back a squeal as she hugged her. "Go on, he's so close! Live your dream!"

"I'll… try." She assured them, and took in a shakey breath while she turned around. She smiled at Jack as he called her over.

Anna smiled as she leaned against Kristoff. "They grow up so fast, don't they?" He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

"Took you long enough," Jack smirked at her, nodding over to the boat. "I was getting worried you got lost or something."

"Or something," Elsa giggled and took his hand. "Thanks for um… going along with my sister's crazy idea. You didn't have to."

He laughed while they climbed onto the boat, and he placed his staff against the wood to take a paddle to row them. "Well, according to you, I'm not physically capable of flying at long-distances yet, so I'm here just to humor you."

"I feel so loved." She smirked, mentally sighing as the cool September breeze brushed through her hair. They sat in silence for a while, both unsure of how to start a conversation. They each respectively had their own fears, but each too stubborn to admit them. Elsa stared out into the water in her reflection, frowning at the dark circles under her eyes.

Anna, Kristoff, Rapunzel and Eugene all climbed into one boat after them. Olaf didn't want to be near the water, as it was his personal phobia, so Sven stayed on the grounds with him. The princesses rubbed her temples.

"Why aren't they saying anything to each other?"

Eugene rested his hand against his cheek. "After what they each went through, I don't think I would want to talk…"

Kristoff eyed his wife carefully, trying his best to ignore the pleading look on her face. THAT LOOK. He knew what that meant. And he wasn't going to fall for it. "No, Anna, I'm not singing."

"Kristoff, you told me you know the song by heart. Besides, you have an amazing voice. It'll help fit… de mood."

"What song?" Rapunzel asked, now very intrigued.

The prince sighed, giving Eugene a pleading look. Unfortunately he was interested in what the girls were talking about as well, so all he had was a smirk on his lips. Kristoff slapped his head. _The things I do to please this woman… _He couldn't get mad at her adorable face as he kissed her nose, sighing in defeat.

_**There… you see her **_

_**Sittin' there across the way **_

"You got it, honey!" Anna encouraged, a beaming smile on her face. He cleared his throat.

_**She don't got a lot to say, **_

_**But there's something about her **_

_**And you don't know why but you're dying to try **_

_**You wanna kiss the girl **_

Jack blushed when he heard the singing, looking around for the voice he couldn't find. Elsa didn't seem to notice anything.

_**Yes, you want her **_

_**Look at her you know you do **_

_**Possible she wants you to **_

_**There is one way to ask her **_

_**It don't take a word not a single word go on and… **_

_**Kiss the girl **_

This time though, Elsa heard the tenor voice, and shrunk low in her seat as Jack used the paddle to bring them around the fjord. _Anna, I swear I'm going to kill you for this… _

"Can't you sing with me now?" Kristoff asked his wife pleadingly, who giggled.

"Oh, fine."

_Sha-la-la-la-la _

_Looks like the boy's too shy ain't gonna kiss the girl _

_Sha-la-la-la ain't that sad it's such a shame too bad _

_He gonna miss the girl _

"Y-you know… I'm really proud of you." Jack said, to which Elsa looked up at him.

"About what? I didn't do anything special…"

He shook his head, "No, Elsa, you did. Even though you were scared you made your guards to take me to your room… you didn't cry and you didn't break down in front of me. If the Man in the Moon ever chose you to be a guardian… then I could see why."

Elsa smiled at him, "Thanks, Jack. That means a lot to me."

Kristoff smiled as Anna leaned against him.

_**Now's your moment **_

_**Floating in a blue lagoon **_

_**Boy, you better do it soon **_

_**No time will be better **_

_**She don't say a word and she won't say a word until you **_

_**Kiss the girl **_

_**Sha-la-la-la don't be scared you got the mood prepared **_

_**Go on and kiss the girl **_

_**Sha-la-la-la don't stop now **_

_**Don't try to hide it how **_

_**You wanna kiss the girl **_

To Anna's surprise, the two were actually leaning into each other. Beautiful ice crystals began to cascade down the vines they were surrounded by.

_**Sha-la-la-la, float along and listen to the song **_

_**Say, kiss the girl **_

_Whoa, whoa _

_Music play, do what the music say_

_You gotta kiss the girl… _

_**Why don't you kiss the girl? **_

Elsa's breath caught in her throat as she was leaning close to Jack, too close for her personal comfort. However, she felt the warmest when she was around him—now more so than ever. Was it the music? Was it the fact that her love was sitting right there, willing and ready? Was it her personal fear overcoming everything? Whatever it was, she didn't care. She refused.

The two were so close to each other now, Jack's eyes filled with pleading curiosity—she would've answered his silent question right then, if it weren't for the fact that she noticed an unnatural brown streak in his white hair. She gasped in alarm, reaching her arm to touch it causing him to pull back. That one action was enough to cause the boat to topple over, sending the two into the water. Eugene and Rapunzel burst out laughing on one end at the misfortune, while Anna and Kristoff stared at the scene with mouths agape.

"Well." Olaf said from where he was; a smug look spread across his face. "That happened."


	15. Chapter 15

**I was really having mixed feelings about his chapter. x/ I argued with myself on how to end it, and the sensible side of my brain lost. I honestly have no idea how that happened. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter fifteen: Underneath fear, there's still fear _

* * *

"It was those creatures… the ones that attacked you… it was them, wasn't it?" Elsa questioned slowly, squeezing out the water in her hair. The two were by the fire in a small room; a couch held their wet clothes. Jack stared at the fire.

"Maybe," He answered her, just as frightened. "You remember that I was human before I became a guardian, right?"

Elsa nodded.

"The creatures… they must have known. They knew that I had a weakness, and they went for it so I couldn't fight back. It's… really strange,"

"What is?" The Queen murmured, sitting down next to him.

Jack rubbed his forehead, eyes blearily watching the flickering flames by him. "Even though I feel weakened by them, I can't help but… feel so alive at the same time. Do you know what I mean?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye then, noticing the light blush on her cheeks. She nodded.

"When I was in my Ice Palace," She sighed, "I felt isolated from my sister and my kingdom. But at the same time I was free, so I couldn't really place what I was angry at." She touched the brown hair which was getting darker. "I like this color on you, Jack—it gives you character."

He smiled at her. "Thanks. I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my old life. And… and Pippa."

"You know she would be so proud of you," Elsa assured him, giving him a small grin.

"Yeah," he muttered. He noticed Elsa's hand inch towards his, and looked back up at her crimson face. He bit his lip, remembering back to the song and all those other missed chances he'd had with her. Was everything really worth it, considering that they were never meant to be in the first place? Would North even care when he found out about Elsa? Jack sighed, realizing that just being near Elsa's presence only made the urge stronger. "Hey… can I… can _we…_," He corrected himself, "Can we try something?"

"That depends on what you want." She muttered, mentally gulping as she pulled a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's… it's hard to put into words… it'll be easier if… I showed you." He said, getting so close to her their noses were touching.

As she got what he was trying to say, her eyes widened. "I guess I owe you a kiss, huh?"

"That's not even half of it," He whispered, reaching out to touch her cheek. She flinched. _Damn you, Pitch. Damn you for making her feel scared around me. I know your game now. And I hate it. _"I won't hurt you, Elsie. You know that. You see me… right?" She weakly nodded, forehead touching his. "You feel me? Pitch is gone… he's… he's nothing but a nightmare, now. You're safe here."

Elsa smiled, not bothering to wipe away the tears that fell down her cheeks. She leaned forward despite her nervousness, and pressed her cold lips against his own. She expected them to feel just as frigid, but she experienced something much different than that. She felt so _warm. _She felt like there was a dull flame just waiting to escape this whole time, and now, finally, it was able to ignite her heart. His lips. Oh god, they were amazing. They were so beautiful, so precious; but oddly enough, the fear of breaking something didn't etch into her mind then. All she focused on was the incredible winter spirit in front of her, and breaking her walls. She could hear the defeated cry of hell in the back of her mind. The battle that she'd fought for so long was finally won, and she had come out victor.

Jack, on the same side, felt even more alive than before. All memories of pain erased from his mind then, as he focused on the beautiful Queen he loved. He didn't care what any of the guardians would think. If the moon found a way to get them together, then he would find a way to _keep_ them together.

"W-wow…" Elsa gasped, forgetting any vocabulary she learned from her father. _So this is what love is…_ she smiled at him, running a hand through his messy hair. "Thank you, Jack."

"I figured you'd like that," He chuckled, kissing her nose. "Guess you're going to break a few of your suitors hearts now, aren't you?"

Elsa raised her eyebrow. "Too bad for them. They should've known my heart was taken by someone else anyway."

He grinned, blushing violently. "Never in my hundred years would I think that I would meet a kindred spirit such as you… thank Manny…"

"I'm sorry I… was out of character for a long time. I just didn't know what was going on in my head, and I didn't know how to tell you." She mumbled, hiding her face in Jack's shoulder.

He sighed, "I could wait a thousand years until you finally decided to tell me, as long as I was in your presence."

"Jack," Elsa spoke, her voice cracking with emotion. "What does this make us? My kingdom wants me to marry one of my suitors… they're getting vulgar about it… I don't think they'll take too kindly to us being together."

Jack got up from the couch to hold his staff. "Well, forget about them! We can find a new place! And we could start a royal line… all on our own…" He said that last bit suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows. Elsa giggled and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"…My place is here, Jack, even though that sounds appealing. Besides, I can't leave Anna. Not when she's having my little niece or nephew. This is… terrifying to me still, but I need your help. We can't just up and leave, Jack."

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. "I know… I just… I just wish there was some way I could be with you. Forever."

Elsa stood on her tippie toes to kiss him. "Forever doesn't matter right now. Forgetting about Pitch… that's what I want to focus on."

Jack nodded, seeing how there was no use winning this particular battle. "I should probably be heading back to Burgess soon; the guardians are probably worried sick by now."

The Queen's eyes went wide as he said this, feeling guilty that he stayed longer than she should've. "Oh… I'm so sorry, Jack. I forgot that you had other duties…"

He shrugged his shoulder, "It's fine, Elsie. We were busy having fun."

She glared at him for a few moments before sighing, and walking over to check if the clothes have dried yet. Only the guardian's sweatshirt was warmer than the others. "Here; it's better than it was before, at least." Her eyes trialed on his very toned skin, cheeks blushing when she realized that her thoughts were getting a little intimate.

He chuckled at her as he put on his clothes. They were about to kiss each other again when Kai burst through the doors. His eyes grew wide when he saw the exchange but he didn't say anything about it, and glanced down the hallway again. "Your majesty! You must come quickly, this is an emergency!"

Elsa gave a worried look towards Jack. "What's the matter?"

"You just," He made an exasperated sound, "You just have to see!"

Without questioning anything else, the Queen nodded and reached out for Jack's hand. He took it, and together they walked outside the castle to the dreadful scene. She caught sight of Anna who looked as if she were about to cry, and ran over to wrap her arms around her. There was already a crowd surrounding something she couldn't see yet.

"Anna, what's going on? I was just told…"

She sniffed, burying her face in her shoulder. "H-he… the guard… he kept on screaming. It was like he was running away from something. He kept on saying 'Monster, monster, monster!' Nobody paid him any mind at first, until he started attacking the other royal guards… I could see his eyes… they were filled with so much fear…. Th-th-then… that black smoke came… it started over there…"

Elsa looked to where her sister was pointing, and tensed when she saw the familiar sight. _Oh no… please don't have this be what I think it is… _She glanced over at Jack who looked as if he wanted to punch something; his knuckles were turning white against his staff.

She then looked towards the crowd which was growing beyond her nerves, and broke apart from Anna's embrace to see what was going on. "Move out of the way! What is the meaning of all this?!"

"Y-your highness—" A passerby gasped, only to be shoved out.

The guard that Anna mentioned was withering in terror, his hands clamped onto his forehead. "He's back… I couldn't stop him… th-the monster came back…"

Elsa placed her hand on his chest. "At ease, soldier. What is this monster you speak of?"

He flinched at her touch. "His very name is something that I dare not say… I REFUSE TO GIVE IN TO HIS DEMAND!"

"We're not asking you to… Sebastian…" She read the name slowly on the hilt of his sword. "We just wish that you'll be alright." She nodded over to Lucia (who was holding onto her son) and a few other guards. "Take him to the hospital wing. He needs to be medicated."

A guard looked at her dubiously. "With all due respect your majesty, he attacked us! He should be thrown in the dungeon!"

Elsa clenched her fists in an effort to control her anger. "When you guards were after me all those years ago, I fought back because I was driven by fear! This man is no different; he's only human just like the rest of us! If I hear any more complaints I'll speak with you personally." She sneered, and the guard who defied her gulped, taking a few cautious steps back.

Jack wearily flew over to her and poked her shoulder. "I-I gotta go, Elsa. I have to be with the other guardians." He took her hand, "Come with me. They can protect you better than these people can."

She glared at him, "Jack, I can't leave this place! I must stay here and look after my kingdom…"

"Please, Elsa, please, I can't risk keeping you here all alone!" He yelled back at her. _I love you too much, _"You have to…"

Elsa calmed herself down best she could, causing the blizzard that just about got intense to stop abruptly. She sighed. "A-alright, I'll go with you… just let me say goodbye to my sister and Kristoff…"

"E-elsa?" Anna whimpered, reaching out for her hands.

"Anna, I need you to trust me as to what I say next. I have to go with Jack to warn the other guardians, and I want you to look after our kingdom for a little while. I don't know how long I'll stay—but could you help me with that?"

The younger sibling fearfully shook her head. "N-no, don't leave me again, Elsa… I can't… n-not when…" She faltered right then, placing a shaking hand over her stomach.

"You can, and you will, Anna; you'd be a better ruler than I am anyway. Please, you have to trust me." She glanced over at Kristoff. "If you even let one act of harm come to my little sister, you'd be held accountable for everything when I get back. Got it?"

He gulped and nodded.

Jack walked over to them as she was hugging her family, and he leaned his head against his staff. Anna giggled despite herself when she saw him, "Go on then, your boyfriend is waiting for you."

Elsa shook her head and held out her hand for him to take before taking one last final glance at her sister. She just whished that this won't be the last time she'll ever see her….

"What's the matter, North? It's early morning and I was tryin' to catch some beauty—oh no…" Bunnymund grumbled, once he saw the giant globe covered in black nightmare. The elder guardian ran a finger through his messy hair.

"How did I not see this coming? We need Jack, now. Tooth, Bunny, Sandy, go find him. I'll stay here and hold down the fort."

The Easter spirit nodded. "Alright, mate. It's been a long time since we had another adventure. Ready Tooth?"

She smiled and buzzed around him. "Whenever you are! Come on, let's take the sleigh!"

Bunnymund took a few steps back. "Can't I please just take my tunnels this time?" He glanced over at Sandy for support, but he just pointed to the sleigh with a stern look. "Oh, fine…."

North smirked at his friends and looked back at the globe, which was becoming less inviting by the second. _And right around Christmas time, too… _He sighed bitterly. _Goddamn Pitch, whatever you're planning, make it quick. I'm tired of this game. _With a grunt, he ordered a yeti to follow the other guardians.


	16. Chapter 16

***grumbles angrily*... I love this chapter a lot so I hope you will to, and yet I hate it. x/ I dunno why, it's just... ugh... my brain was just fried while typing up this one. Guess I should stop drinking sugary drinks before bed. :p and I know most of these chapters seem depressing, but it'll all lead up to the epic battle I'm planning. not giving you any spoilers about why or when, yet. ;p **

**_Kristoff:_ ...okaaay... **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter sixteen: What could be worse than Pitch himself? _

* * *

"Jack, _Jackson_, slow down!" Elsa decried, clutching onto his shoulder. "You're going to crash into something!"

The winter spirit didn't hear her cry at first. If it weren't for the obnoxiously large tree in front of him, he probably wouldn't have ever stopped. He crashed face first and groaned, but still kept his grip tight on his Queen. "Ouch…"

_And again, you didn't listen to me, _She sighed, peeking over his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"No," He mumbled, his face nearly pulled off of the bark. He winced at her. "I-I'm sorry, I usually don't lose control like that." He paused for a moment to help her onto the stem. "You're okay, right?"

She smiled and nodded, hiding her shaking hands behind her back. "Y-yes, I'm fine. Just… fine."

He sighed as he looked around where they were, realizing that he couldn't remember how they got there or where they were supposed to go. He nervously let one arm dangle over the branch above him, and clutched his staff with his feet. Elsa, as she watched, absentmindedly thought he looked like a monkey in that position. He slapped his forehead. "Ugh… I got us lost, didn't I?"

Elsa folded her arms. "Well you were too busy listening to your thick head to hear me."

He narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me for trying to save you from Pitch."

She scoffed, "Save me?! That was kidnapping and defying my answer, you dolt!" She turned away from him. "All this happened because of you! And Pitch wasn't even there, it'll probably take him longer to get to Arendelle…"

"Take him longer? Ha! There's no doubt in my mind that he's right _here!"_ He sneered, wincing at how the tree shook every time they raised their voices.

Elsa whimpered and latched herself onto the tree. "Jack…"

But he wasn't done yet. "You of all people should understand. Pitch never leaves you alone, Elsa, and I fight every second of my days trying to keep him away from you! I can't risk losing you again. Not again…"

She fell silent as she watched him fumble over his words, leaning her head against the tree. She knew there was something more he had to say, three words that had to be uttered to seal the bond, but somehow he just couldn't right now.

"Jack, I—"

"Shut up," He muttered, climbing up a branch.

"You can't tell me what to—"

"Damnit, just follow me!"

She bit her tongue, and took his hand to help her up. As she glanced down to where Jack seemed to be running away from, she caught sight of an unfortunate soul. She barely held in a gasp when the former prince stopped by their tree, leaning against it, and smirked at the devil creature. Jack growled in frustration.

"I wonder what the boss could want," He wondered, eyebrows narrowed in thought. "I've done pretty well with his deal so far. Destroyed a few villages, caused children to have endless nightmares of me… and I even weakened that Frost guy. Maybe he'll finally give me a raise!"

The creature let out a low grumbling sound, to which Elsa presumed was laughter. She shivered. "Alright, alright, joke all you want. I'll be waiting for that four-course dinner."

Jack took Elsa's hand and they flew to another tree, one where they could get a perfect view of them. The creature saw black nightmare nearby and pulled on Hans's coat to stop his pointless muttering, but he wouldn't quiet down. As the nightmare expanded, the creature became much more frantic in his movements. Elsa glanced up at Jack to see what his expression was. The guardian remained stoic, hands gripped firmly on the tip of the staff.

And there he was. The very object of Elsa's worse nightmare—the one and only Pitch Black. He stood before them in all his glory, a wry smirk plastered on his lips as he greeted his retched minions. Elsa barely held in her terrified scream causing Jack to pull her close to him, shutting her mouth with his hand. Thankfully neither party seemed to notice.

"Hey boss!"

Pitch seemed to cringe at that word. "Hello… Hans. What grounds did you cover today?"

The minion held his hand to his chin in thought. "With this guy right here, basically all of Europe, and last week the North. I heard the globe over in the guardian's workshop is covered in black sand now."

He nodded. "Very good. Now, there is something that I wish to speak with you about."

Hans smirked at the creature beside him, for he honestly thought that his prediction would come true. However the creature just rolled his eyes at his master, and folded his stubby arms.

"Yeah? What is it, doc?"

Pitch wringed his hands together, as if he was having a really difficult time figuring something out. He sighed bitterly. "Hans, you have done an excellent job with my work so far. I haven't had anyone like you to work with me, willingly, since Jack. But… my powers are at its strongest right now, so I don't need any help anymore. In summary, the deal is finished."

Hans took a few steps back. "Wh-what?! But… but you said if I do your work for you, I get a place to live! I get to be treated like a king! THAT WAS THE DEAL!"

Pitch narrowed his eyes. God, how this boy aggravated him! "What did I just say? The deal's off. You won't need this helper anymore." He said, and with a flicker of black sand, forced the creature to turn even darker than before, and turned around to face Hans with a wry smirk. "Go now before I really hurt you."

The former prince, well, now former assistance of fear, stomped his foot like an irritable brat. "Come on, can't we just tweak the deal? I won't work with you, but I'll be able to live there! It's a good compromise, right?"

Pitch slapped his forehead. "Look, I've had about enough of you. You leave me no choice now."

He raised his palm, terrifying black sand swirling out of it. Elsa whimpered and hid in Jack's shoulder, who only glanced at her in sorrow. Both knew what was about to happen. With a grunt, Pitch shot the black sand which grew in size dramatically, and it flew in a spiral formation at Hans. The man closed his eyes and held out one hand to block it, but fruitlessly though. He was pushed backwards faster than the speed of light took him, and he landed a few miles away from his original point. Jack looked up from where he was to see the horrible sight clearer: Hans completely knocked down over thirty trees by his wake, and the final one he was crashed into, broke only halfway. The man had fallen into a deep slumber, with nightmare horses appearing on top of his head.

Pitch stared at the scene he created with a frown, before nodding over to the creature. His facial expression didn't change at all. He didn't think it ever will after that. "Call your friends. We have one more nightmare to bring." It nodded, and, holding his nose, disappeared into the ground.

Jack didn't take his eyes off the boogeyman until he disappeared.

"Shit, we lost him," Jack muttered, and flew down to the ground with a shaking Elsa in hand. "This isn't good, this isn't good, this isn't _good…"_

"Jack…" The Queen sighed, placing her shaking fingers on his cheek.

"H-he's way stronger than I last saw him… crap, what the hell am I going to do?"

"Jackson!" Elsa exclaimed, slapping the guardian to shut him up. He blinked a couple times to regain his thoughts, but he still didn't look up at her. He fidgeted with his staff. She rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, before taking his face in her hands. She stopped his worries by kissing him full on the lips –this would be the third time, she counted- her hand running through his brown and white hair.

He blushed as they pulled apart, eyes twinkling with mirth. "I could get used to that."

"You'd better. I have no idea what's going to happen now, but we need to find the guardians."

"Well, glad we're all on the same page, mate." A voice chuckled, and the two whipped around to see a giant sleigh, with Bunnymund, Sandy, and Tooth riding it. Elsa's eyes grew wide when she saw her childhood favorites.

"Bunny!" Jack exclaimed with a laugh, waving over to him. "Would you help a fellow guardian out?"

He smiled and nodded, whistling at Elsa as he hopped onto the tree. Tooth fluttered beside him. "So this is the beauty you've been talking about, eh? You're way out of your league, now, boyo." He said and let out a barrel of laughter, taking his hand. Jack rolled his eyes.

"About that…" Elsa muttered, blush spreading across her cheeks. Sandy smirked and formed a heart with his hand, silently laughing at how the couple reacted to their arrival. Tooth giggled and helped Elsa onto the sleigh.

"It's a good thing we found you. We were getting so worried that Pitch might've… gotten you by now…" She said slowly, gulping back any fears. She glanced over at Jack. "I-is my Baby alright?"

He looked confused for a moment, but when he remembered his eyes lit up and took the tiny fairy out of his pocket. "Here she is. She just wanted to meet Elsa and her family." The creature squealed in delight when she saw her mother, and fluttered around her in delight. The other fairies greeted her in the same manner.

Elsa glanced longingly at the sight, placing her hand against her stomach. She had seen Anna do it so many times that she began to pick up the habit—it only caused her to miss her sister even more. _What's ever happening down there, I hope you're handling it okay…I'm sorry you had to see me act like that… _She thought, eyes becoming distant.

Bunnymund cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Guess we should fill you in on what's been happening, yeah? Once that's settled, we'll figure out a way to defeat the bloody Pitch…" He grumbled to himself afterwards, before starting up the sleigh. Jack could only stare back at Hans, unsure of where his feelings were placed about him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Gerda had never seen Lucia so nervous since Queen Elsa's coronation. The single mother was pacing across the small room, eyes glued to the floor as she muttered reassuring words to herself. She let out a groan, and, silently coming to the conclusion that this was going to go nowhere, she placed her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Alright, what's the matter?"

Lucia glanced up at her warily. "H-huh? Oh, nothing's wrong, nothing's wrong at all."

Gerda raised an eyebrow. "Sure."

She continued to pace. "Where's Danny?"

"Kai took him up to the playroom—it's reserved for Princess Anna's child, but he needed to be somewhere safe. Your son is fine, Luce."

She let out a sigh of relief, and, taking out her messy bun, gave her a false smile. "What about… that guard? Have the doctors gave any results on him yet?"

Gerda smirked at her, folding her arms. She eyed the mother closely. _So he's what she's worried about… huh… _"Sadly, no," She chuckled, "He's pretty hot, though, isn't he? Despite that he has a bad case of the crazies."

Lucia's eyes shot larger than her head right then, causing her to punch Gerda on the shoulder. "G-Gerda! That was completely uncalled for!"

She laughed, "I know, but I'm right, aren't I?"

Lucia muttered something unintelligent under her breath and refused to nod. Gerda was about to pick on her once more, when the local doctor came out of the room. He smiled weakly when she called him over.

"Everything okay with Sebastian, doc?"

The man nodded—he seemed to be in his late twenty's, with dark brown hair and light blue eyes. He wore a white doctor's coat that was only slightly soiled, but his hands were another story. "He collapsed due to emotional trauma. Being in those cells would do that to even the toughest of men, apparently… keep him calm and away from any potential danger, Gerda, and he'll be alright."

Lucia spoke up. "How long until then, though?"

The doctor shrugged. "Who knows? It could be a few hours, a few months, or a few years. I wouldn't blame him if it took the soul an eternity. Situations like that… they don't just wash away." He tipped his hat. "I have many other patients—if anything comes up, you know who to call."

Lucia and Gerda nodded, not glancing at each other until he disappeared into the hallway. The elder woman said something first.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm going to check on Princess Anna. Wanna come with me?"

Lucia shook her head, "Yes… just, you go on ahead. I'll catch up." Gerda eyed her for a few moments before shrugging, and walked on.

The servant took in a few deep, nervous breaths as she walked towards the door where Sebastian was resting. She didn't know why she was acting like this. Maybe it was just the stress of everything. She couldn't help but feel like there was… something familiar about that man. Something from her past, something important she had to remember that involved him. She closed her eyes and slowly, carefully, opened the door.

And there he was. The toughest guard in all of Arendelle, quite possibly the world, if she wanted to exaggerate, wincing in pain as the dark nightmares haunted his dreams. She sighed longingly and wasted no second to go near him, and place a wet cloth that was next to the bed on his forehead. He shivered at her touch, but then as quickly as that shiver went it stopped. It seemed by just her being there eased his spirit, and his erratic breathing died down to a minimum. But there was still the odd, black sand floating around his head. She shut her eyes tight as she tried her best to heal him, and for the first time since forever, allowed herself to cry.


	17. Chapter 17

**phew... finally got this chapter up. grr... *glares at Jelsa* **

**_Jack:_ What did I do? **

**_Elsa:_ If anything, it was probably something catastrophic. **

**Yes, it was, because now I have off on monday! You're the ones who created the freakin' polar vortex for the past three months, didn't you?! *grabs frying pan* **

**_Jack:_ *smirks* **

**_Elsa:_ ...smirking does not help our situation, Jack! uhh... h-hope you guys enjoy the story! **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter seventeen: Flurries of Emotion _

* * *

"We're okay…" Anna forced out, shutting her eyes tight. "W-we really are, just… what happened… I…"

The princess sighed and shook her head as she recalled the events that happened only recently. She couldn't handle it out there… and she knew hiding out in here didn't help anything at all, but she needed to be somewhere less chaotic. Kristoff was handling things fine… at least she hoped.

And the worst part of it all was… she didn't feel like a child anymore. She was just scared. Scared, confused, and terrified. It didn't matter how old she was. The little baby within her didn't ease her spirit as it normally did.

She gulped, wringing her hands together to try and keep warm. "I have no idea what to do," She finally voiced out, her throat thick with emotion. "My sister… she's out there with Jack… what good would that do? That's only bringing them closer to Pitch, not away from! Th-there was always that constant fear in the back of my mind when we were growing up… aside from love… that she would leave me…. a-a-and I'm afraid… that… this'll be the last time." _God, I'm so weak… _She glanced down at her stomach mournfully, placing her hand against it. "You won't leave me, would you?"

She stared at it for a long time before falling against the wall, hitting the now frozen floor. "I'm so sorry," Anna murmured, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. There's something wrong with me. I'm not normally like this, and I'm sorry you had to see Elsa like that…" The last line blurted out of her almost unquestionably, until she felt a little bump in her stomach. _She just felt her baby move._ She sighed and gripped it tighter, hiding her head in her knees. Angry Anna was no more, and Sensible Anna was brought into the conversation. She stared out into the kitchen for what felt like the longest time before she spoke again. "No… no she's my sister, your _Aunt,_ she had her reasons to act like that… I'm not sorry. You should know how the world is even though you don't like it. It's... even though it brings you down, you learn to overcome it too. She's amazing for what she did. She's kind, she's sweet, and she'll protect the ones she loves in a heartbeat… she even left me twice just to prove it…. And here I am, scared shitless wondering how I'm going to look after you… some mother I am." She sniffed, unsure of what emotion to focus on now.

"I-I'm sorry… ugh, stop apologizing!" She complained, slapping her head.

"Um… your highness?" Gerda questioned. She cautiously walked into the room, hands folded behind her back. Anna didn't look up at her. "Are you well?"

She moaned, shaking her head slowly. "I'm tired…"

"Then you should rest," She reasoned, taking out her hand.

"No, I'm tired of waiting around all the time! Ever since Jack came here everyone's had the biggest stick up their asses!" Anna demanded, letting go of the servant's hand.

Gerda looked at her squarely. "Who?"

She didn't seem to hear that as she was already storming out the door, with Gerda in suit. "P-princess Anna! You really should rest up… all this stress isn't good for the baby!" She pleaded fruitlessly.

Anna didn't turn around. "To hell with it, I'm pregnant not disabled! I can contribute too!" She pulled a guard aside by the collar. He visibly gulped. "Where's Kristoff?"

"H-H-his majesty?" He managed to gasp out, "He's down by the ghetto, giving food to the homeless! He said he'd be back to check up on you!"

She glared at him for a few moments before nodding, and stormed off in the other direction. Gerda heaved out a sigh of relief and smile warmly at the retreating princess, knowing that she was on her own now. She shared a small laugh with the petrified guard and shrugged.

"You saw it coming. Everyone did."

0o0o0o0o0o

Kristoff had just been giving a small boy something he could color in when his wife burst into the tiny house. He raised his eyebrows at her pissed off expression, her eyes blazing with terror and her messy bun. She looked even worse when she woke up that morning—but at the same time, she was just so beautiful to him.

"Anna—"

"Don't… 'Anna'… me," She sneered. She pointed a finger. "You think you could just waltz around and play hero for the day while I suffer inside?!"

The large man folded his arms. "This wasn't my idea, Anna, it was Elsa's! And I went along with it because I agreed with her. Arendelle needs at least one leader safe. Me… well… I'm expendable. You're not right now."

Anna just noticed how cold it was outside. And doubled by fear… that only made things worse. She shook her head at her husband tearfully. "K-kristoff, no… you can't sacrifice yourself for me. You know as well as I do that I hate being behind closed doors! I need to be out here with you!"

"M-mommy…" The small boy whimpered, and his mother hid his ears as she held him close.

"Anna, do you even hear what the people say about me?" Kristoff growled angrily, "'Oh, what a looser Kristoff is. Anna should've married Hans. At least he's a prince.' 'Who hangs around with a reindeer all the time? That's so weird! I don't want my kid to meet someone like that!' And, here's the worst part… 'If only Elsa would've married first. That would've made life soooo much better',"

"Kristoff, stop, stop, _stop!"_ Anna interjected, wrapping her arms around him. One more complaint about that and she just might throw up.

"If I was just walking around as I normally do and Pitch suddenly corrupted me or whatever, I bet no one- not even the people in this room would care! That's why I'm doing this, Anna! So you don't have to be ashamed of me anymore!"

She finally let out a defeated cry and pressed her lips onto his which such force it knocked the two over. Tears were still streaming down her cheeks as she kissed him, trying to calm his woeful mumblings. The mother sighed as she took her son and nodded to her husband, directing them to another room. She silently understood. As Anna pulled away from him –she was still kissing his cheek at the time- she noticed briefly how much this was killing him emotionally. He had dark circles under his eyes, his once, nicely combed blonde hair matted, and his entire persona even changed. She didn't like it. She wanted the old Kristoff back… she wanted Elsa back… but she also knew that wanting something and needing something were two completely different things.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?" Kristoff mumbled, staring into her pretty green eyes.

She shook her head, and brought his hands onto her stomach. "Kristoff, look. You helped create this, right?" She asked, sniffling.

The prince closed his eyes as he felt the baby. He still couldn't believe it even though it's only been a few months and a day. And yet here he was, feeling the little life that he and Anna created. It seemed almost surreal.

"I would hope so…" He muttered, sighing as he tried to take his hands away. Anna wouldn't let him.

"Kris…" She whimpered. "Come on, honey, this baby needs a father. Are you really going to give up so easily on me? I-I can't do this alone."

"I never said you weren't," He grumbled begrudgingly, finally opening his eyes again. He practically went frigid when he saw her crying again.

She sniffed, using her shoulder to wipe her eye. "You helped create this, right?" She asked again, looking down at her stomach. She wouldn't leave until he said yes.

Kristoff bit his lip and sighed, leaning over to kiss her forehead. This emotional rollercoaster was practically killing him. She leaned away from him though, giving him an angry look. He chuckled despite himself. "Y-yes, I did… and I don't regret anything, Anna. I'm sorry." He mumbled.

She was still frowning as she pointed to her stomach. "I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

"Wait, what?" He sighed. He then shook his head and leaned closer so he was leaning against the little bump_. Alright…I see her point… _"… I'm sorry, Josef. Daddy was… daddy was just scared. He was scared for you. Be easy on mommy for now on, okay? She didn't do anything wrong." With each word, he kissed her stomach to seal the answer. Anna glanced over to him with a blush on her face.

"Josef?" She asked, causing him to blush as well. He hadn't realized he said that out loud.

He smiled. "W-well… you're always going on and on how you think it's going to be a boy… and I kind of like the name Josef… I was playing around with my name yesterday."

"Josef," Anna repeated, loving the way it rolled off her tongue. "I love it, Kris. His nickname could be Joey. Do you like that, little one?" She asked her stomach, giggling when she felt it move within her again.

Kristoff smiled warmly as he helped her up, Anna still cradled in his arms. "I love you, Anna."

She grinned up at him, kissing his nose. "Yeah. I love you too."

* * *

"North! We're here! We brought the bloke and 'is girlfriend!" Bunnymund yelled as the gang hopped off of the sleigh. Jack rolled his eyes as he didn't bother to correct the rabbit.

Elsa stared at the workshop in wonder as Sandy helped her off the sleigh, accompanied by Tooth. She giggled when she saw all of the cool and interesting toys that flew around the ceiling, and the elves that scurried by her feet. The yetis curiously peered at them while they worked. Elsa leaned over to touch a flying ice car once it came near her, and the thing buzzed with life, flying around her. Jack stared longingly at her as he leaned against his staff, a light blush tinting his cheeks.

He didn't even stop staring at her when North skipped into the room, a wide, forced smile on his face as he greeted his old friends.

"It's about time, no? Glad you come. Would you introduce us to the lovely lady, Jack?" He chuckled, slapping his hand on his shoulder.

Jack snapped out of his daydream and smirked, taking Elsa by the hand. "Alright. Guardians, this is Queen Elsa. I've been training her how to control her powers over the past few months." He introduced her, and Elsa gave a small wave in return. "She wanted to come with me because… you know."

"Da," North muttered, "Jack, come with me for a moment. We talk."

He glanced over to Elsa for a second and nodded before getting pulled by the big guy, and she smiled sadly in return. The two walked past the working yetis and into a familiar room where Jack leaned against a desk to become comfortable. North frowned at him as he folded his arms.

"How close are you with your believer? Answer truthfully." He asked, causing Jack to blush. He didn't answer him at first.

"We… I kissed her. A lot," He muttered, "I don't know where we stand. But… I would like to stand somewhere."

North nodded and rubbed his chin. "Do you know what a soulmate is? You've heard of it, yah?" As he spoke, he glanced quickly at a picture hung on the wall. His heart ached right then as memories became very vivid in his mind.

Jack shook his head. "What does this have to do with Pitch?"

He let out a bitter laugh and turned to glare at the teen. "Oh, many things, Jack. Which I will explain. You see, I may not look the type, but I had a lover once—like you. Many people knew her. She… a mortal. Said we weren't meant to be together; but I continued to love her, anyway. Because that's what you do in relationship. Loved her for many years…she was even with child. Me? I was happy. So happy! Felt like I didn't deserve to meet someone as wonderful as her, but Man in Moon showed me I had to. However…" North's eyes grew dark then, his fists began to clench. "Pitch didn't like her. He sensed fear in her, and used that fear to control her. Killed her family. Everyone she knew. And later… when I wasn't looking… her too."

Jack's eyes went wide as he took a few steps back, "N-no…"

"I couldn't stop it. She was too far gone… and I will not let that happen to you. Dis may be your fight this time, but its mine as well. When the battle comes, I will take the final blow. You understand?"

The young guardian gulped and nodded, suddenly feeling a lot weaker than he should. He forced himself to nod. "Yes sir."

He smiled at him and placed his hand over his shoulder again, "You've changed, Jack. She's making you softer. You still tell jokes, yah?"

Jack laughed. "I have a few up my sleeve, don't worry grandpa."

Bunnymund burst through the door right then, nervously tapping his feet. "North… the lights... th-they're flickering again."

"There's only one left!" Tooth screeched, causing the three of them to glance at each other. "It's Pitch! What are we going to do?!"

"Jamie," Jack hissed, gripping his staff.

North nodded over to Bunnymund. "Get the sleigh. We go to Burgess."

This time the rabbit didn't even complain.


	18. Chapter 18

**so... I have a few ideas bouncing around in my head on where I should continue with this and how the battle should play out, but I honestly have NO IDEA. I need HALP. I like how it's going so far, though... I guess... maybe I should edit a few things... *le sighes. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter eighteen: Tip of the Iceberg_

* * *

Jamie Benett rubbed his tired eyes as he stared at his textbook. He had been working on schoolwork for over a few hours straight, since he didn't want to be up past midnight. Cupcake, his childhood friend, lay on his bed with her headphones on. He smirked at her.

No one ever expected her of all people to enjoy hanging out with him, but ever since that fateful day during the snowball fight, they became closer than ever.

He tapped the pencil he was holding to his chin in thought. _Hmm… how do I answer this? _

"Jamie! Are you sure you aren't hungry, your dinner is getting cold!" His mother yelled, along with laughter and a dog barking.

He shook his head. "No, mom! I wanna finish homework first."

"Well, okay," she giggled, "Does your girlfriend want to come down instead?"

Jamie's cheeks became a bright pink and wearily glanced at Cupcake, who thankfully hasn't heard that statement. She gave him an odd look. _'What?'_ she mouthed and the teen shook his head.

"We're busy, mom! We'll come by later!"

"Okay then. Leftovers are in the fridge, dear." He didn't hear anything else from her after that.

Jamie breathed out a sigh of relief as he placed his hand against his cheek, his pencil tapping his nose. Cupcake rolled her eyes and took off her headphones while she walked behind him. "Still doin' homework, huh?"

He let out a shriek and snapped his head up, turning around to glare at the girl. She laughed.

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't help it. You're so cute when you're scared." She snickered, taking a piece of hair out of her face.

Jamie rolled his eyes. "Yeah… cute…" He snorted, "Why aren't you doing yours?"

"I finished it during study. 'Cause you know, isn't homework what you do in that class? Just remindin' ya."

He blushed at that. _I know… I was just too busy staring at you to even take out my book… _

"Aw, really?" Cupcake giggled, hiding her mouth with her hand. Jamie's eyes grew wide.

_Damnit, did I say that out loud?! _

"Yeah you kind of did." She punched his shoulder with another laugh at his flustered expression. She then put her hands behind her back and moved from her right foot to her left. "Well… thanks." He rolled his eyes and swallowed whatever dignity he had left to turn back to his textbook. However, a light tap on the window caught both of their attention. Cupcake wearily pointed a finger.

"Uh… hey, Jamie? Don't know if you want to see this, but… there's a weird lady with a blue dress floating outside our window." She squinted. "And it looks like it's even darker outside now."

"Huh?" He blinked and looked up. His eyes trailed through the black sand to find his old friend Jack floating by his window, carrying the lady Cupcake mentioned bridal-style. He smiled excitedly as he nearly fell out of his chair, tripping over Sophie's toys that were laid over the room. He unlocked the window with a burst of energy, that happy smile never leaving him once. "JACK! You're here! It's been so long!" He giggled, helping the teen in by the hand.

"J-jack…?" Cupcake whispered, her eyes growing wide.

"Yeah, it has. I'm sorry I couldn't come by sooner. I-I was… busy, I guess." He answered with a smirk, nodding over to the girl. She rolled her eyes and placed her feet on the floor.

Jamie was still floored by the fact that his best friend came by for a visit –he even brought a girl, no less!- he couldn't formulate anything. "C-cupcake! Can you believe this?! Jack's here! HE'S REALLY HERE!" He turned around to see her lips in a thin line, her eyes glistening with tears. "…Cupcake? Everything… okay?"

The lady in Jack's arms gave her a mournful look. "You can't see him… can't you? You stopped believing in him?" She asked, getting away from the winter spirit –which, to Cupcake, looked like she was just pushing air- and placing an arm on her shoulder. "It's okay to cry about it… concealing in your emotions never works out. At least, for me, anyway."

Cupcake let out a sniffle and hid her face in her long, beautiful blond hair, hugging her tight. Jamie felt his eyes widen in horror at the terrible sight before him, and glanced over at Jack's unreadable expression. He realized right then that something was up—something that was going on under radar, and that had to be solved sooner rather than later. Because one just can't randomly forget about somebody as amazing as Jack Frost; they were talking about him only a few days ago! He took in a deep breath and sighed, leaning against his bedroom wall.

"I-I'm sorry, it's just for some reason I gave up on him. I-I-I know there was no reason to, because Jack didn't do anything wrong to deserve this, but it just happened… a-a-and I know him using that snowflake trick won't h-h-help me this time… or the other kids on the block…" She muttered, and the lady wiped her tears with the back of her hand. She blinked up at her. "And I can't help but feel so scared… I-I don't know what, but I know it's about something bad."

"It's alright, sweetheart, we'll figure something out. But…I should probably apologize for bursting into your home during a time like this. And I really should introduce myself before I forget… my name is Elsa, Queen of Arendelle."

Cupcake and Jamie's eyes both went wide at that moment, and huge smile's appeared on their faces. Jack found himself laughing at their reaction.

"Y-you're a _Queen?_ Wow, I'm sorry for not… err… curtsying you earlier, your highness!" Cupcake sputtered, and Jamie nodded.

"Now I remember you! Your story was on the news only a few weeks ago—you froze the entire land of your kingdom in eternal snow. Kind of reminded me of a story I once read in the sixth grade… but you're nicer than the Queen in that book, at least." He assured her, causing Elsa to give Jack a look, wondering if he knew about this. He shrugged.

Elsa sighed and turned back to Cupcake, taking her cheek in her hands. Being with the girl reminded her of Anna so much, the feeling practically killing her inside. However she knew that worrying over her sister wasn't going to help their situation, and they still needed to tell Jamie and his friends what was going on… even if they didn't believe in Jack anymore. They needed all the help they could get.

"It's alright, I won't throw you in the dungeon," She joked, making the two laugh. "You said your name was Cupcake, wasn't it? And you… you're Jamie? Jack's first believer?" She asked now, cringing at the word 'first'. She couldn't tell them the entire story just yet—they didn't have the time. She fought back a smile as Jamie nodded his head eagerly. "Okay, good. I'm terrible at names so at least I got that out of the way…" She turned over to the winter spirit, but he was staring out the window. His hair was much darker than before and he gripped his staff, his knuckles practically turning white. She knew him so much better now to understand that he was upset about something… or rather, what seemed more predictable, some_one._ She cleared her throat nervously. "U-um… Jack? Hey… what are you looking at?"

He didn't turn around. "We have to go. Now. The guardians could be in trouble."

Elsa nodded, not questioning him as she took Jamie and Cupcake's hands. "Looks like we've got an adventure ahead of us."

* * *

"Lynch him! Let him die for what he's done!" A commoner cried out, clutching onto her husband. There was a crowd forming in the center of the castle gates, and everyone was surrounding a certain man and prisoner.

The man, which happened to be Sir Aaron, was taking a perimeter check around the grounds when he saw Hans. He was at first unsure of what to do with the beast, but his second-in-command officer suggested to bring him to the town square, and have the people vote. He somehow escaped from prison on his own—that was a crime in itself.

"No, even better, burn him at the stakes! I like a prisoner to realize that he deserves a good beating!" another suggested, punching his hands together. He stopped for a second. "Sheesh that was an awkward sentence…"

Mixed in the crowd, Rapunzel clutched desperately onto Eugene's hand. She gasped when someone bumped into her, but her husband helped her back up.

"Y-you okay?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder. She weakly nodded.

"Yeah. I'm fine. We have to find Anna and Kristoff! They've been down in the ghetto for over an hour… they have to know about this! They would know what to do!"

Eugene sighed, "I'm sure they would…. But running around aimlessly wouldn't help our situation. Do you even know where the ghetto is?"

Rapunzel paused for a second, glancing back at the growing crowd. She rubbed her hands in her stressed, messy hair. "I… don't… know." She sniffed, "Crap. I really don't know, Eugene."

He frowned and hugged her waist from behind, trying his best to calm his already freaked out wife. He pulled her close to him, keeping them out of sight from the angry mob of people. She was still mumbling to herself though, even when he was kissing her neck.

"A-and I'm even more freaked out because of the baby, and…. And gosh, it's just the most horrible time to figure that out… I mean, the entire world is at stake here! Why would I get pregnant during a time like this?! I didn't want us to start our family this way!" she blabbed, rubbing her eyes. Eugene stopped all thought-patterns he had to stare at her, and spun her around to face him.

"Wait… wait, you're _what?"_

"Oh good, it's Princess Anna! She'd know what to do!" A passerby interrupted him then, and the young couple turned their attention to the royals. Eugene's mind was still swirling over what Rapunzel said, however. Kristoff wearily glanced at the crowd before looking at his wife again. In the back of their minds they each feared the worst.

"And what would I know how to do, sir?" Anna demanded, her voice stronger and firmer than before.

Sir Aaron spoke up now, his hand gripped tightly on Hans's collar. "I'm just going to cut to the chase here. This man is a beast, and your subjects want you to decide on how to kill him."

Anna's eyes grew wide as she gasped, putting her hands to her stomach. She nearly fell over from shock but thankfully Kristoff was there to support her. He turned back to Sir Aaron, his eyes blazing in anger.

"You can't leave that to her to decide, you idiot! She's pregnant with my baby, and she has to deal with everything else her sister normally does! Letting her come up with an idea like that would be a crime in itself! She shouldn't have to worry about that." He roared, causing Rapunzel to run over there and take the princesses other arm to help her stand up properly. "Besides," He fumed, "Killing a man mercilessly would scare everyone away. Do you really want other kingdoms to look at us and feel intimidated that we have a princess who will just kill you on the spot? He's already been in prison for over two years, that's enough punishment! And you're ready to kill somebody just because he escaped?!"

"What, you expect us to welcome a man who tried to murder our Queen?" Someone questioned, and this time Anna yelled at her.

"If I remember, you're the ones who feared her as well and would do the same thing! You really think I'm that naïve?!" She demanded, huffing as she folded her arms. Everybody went silent. "As of right now, nothing happened. Sir Aaron I demand you take Hans to the throne room and Kristoff and I will follow you. We'll settle something then. Eugene, Rapunzel, take care of everything out here. Make sure a mob doesn't form again." They nodded.

Kristoff stared at his wife's back in awe as the crowd dispersed. He felt awkward touching her then, as if one sudden movement would have her burst into tears. However, though, she turned around to face him instead—her expression was unreadable.

"You okay?" He asked her lamely, biting his lip. She shook her head.

"I can't cry right now Kristoff… if I cry I'll never stop… and I don't think you'd want to be there when that happens."

_But I do, and I don't care if you push me away! I'll never stop chasing you! _He practically screamed in his head, but he didn't dare say that out loud. He only sighed though, and moved when Eugene gave him a slap on the back. This time, the back sand swirling around his kingdom was more visible than ever, and Kristoff hated it with a passion. He tried kicking it away from him, but more just kept on coming back, like it wanted him to succumb to it. _Nice try, _he sneered, _But not today. _


	19. Chapter 19

**Hans is a really interesting character. After I got over the fact that I was angry at him, I thought about it. All Hans ever wanted was a place to call his own. A family, and someone to care for, because his other brothers wouldn't. That's when I grew to understand his side of the story, and why he did what he did. I went to watch the movie again, but from his perspective. Anyone would do the same, wouldn't they? I mean, he's not as bad as some of the other Disney villains. He kind of reminds me of Zuko, from Avatar, if you want a comparison. Anyway, enough of my rambling. We're getting so close to the battle, you guys, and things are heating up! ;) Are you as siked as I am?! **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart_

_Chapter nine__teen: Looking in the eye of the tempest_

* * *

"North! Bunny, Tooth! Where are you guys?!" Jack exclaimed, hiding his face from the black sand surrounding them. They were all in the center of the city, trying to find their friend to the best of their ability.

"G-god…" Cupcake whimpered, clutching onto Elsa. "Why did it suddenly drop twenty degreases?"

She sighed, refusing to let go of her hand. "Fear makes everything colder…" She muttered, looking past her love interest into the dark ally. She knew he was here. She could sense the boogeyman—and she knew without a doubt Jack could too.

Thankfully though, the guardians in question crash-landed in front of them, their sleigh decapitated. Jamie rushed over to help the Easter Bunny off of it safely. Jack did the same for Tooth and Sandy.

"Wh-what happened to you guys? You're all small and furry again, Bunny!"

The Australian grumbled to himself and pushed the boy away. "Well my question is what the bloody hell happened to _you?_ We were lookin' all over Burgess for you four!"

Jack gave him an odd look. "What are you talking about? I told you we were going to get Jamie and Cupcake…"

Tooth sniffed, shaking her head weakly. "Th-that's not what I heard…" she glanced up at him, "You said you were leaving us forever… you said you wanted to go where the wind takes you…"

Jamie, Cupcake, Elsa, and Jack's eyes widened simultaneously and glanced at each other. The winter spirit ran a shaking finger through his brown-and-white hair, obviously freaking out. He groaned. He was tired of his head being messed with. "Okay, this shit needs to stop. PITCH! GET OUT HERE AND SHOW YOURSELF. **WE'RE ENDING THIS NOW!"**

They heard a laugh erupt from the shadows, and black sand swirling around them. "Oh? And spoil the fun in acting all ominous? It's quite a shame I didn't get the chance to scare you, Jamie, I'm in need of a good laugh…" Jack gripped his staff and pointed it at the dark streets, guided by an instinct. Pitch let out a throaty chuckle. "You know, my plans didn't go the way I wanted them. Either way, I guess this will do, seeing how I've already won this battle."

"You're no match for him!" Elsa screeched, icicles shooting out of her hand. They only pierced the dark night.

"Oh, no, you've got it all wrong," finally, his sickening face appeared from the shadows, his little creatures by his side, along with the nightmare horses. He smirked. "He was never a match."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Anna folded her arms against her stomach, trying her best not to throw the nearest chair at the man in front of her. She still couldn't place her feelings on the situation; she was with Kristoff on some points, but on the other hand, she was terrified to be in his presence.

This was the man who lied to her.

He gave her a wishful fantasy on what could have been love, on how a man should treat a woman. She bet he wasn't even going to say "sandwiches".

But that's not the worst part. He was only using her—he was after her sister, who was dealing with something much more than her at the time. He only wanted to marry her so he could have a place to rule; he even thought that killing Elsa was the way to stop the eternal winter.

Everyone did, though. He wasn't the only one to blame.

She sighed and instead ran a finger through her messy hair, tapping her foot on the cold floor. Kristoff stood silently behind her, letting her say what she wanted first. If Hans made a move to escape… well, all bets were off then.

"Ahem." She coughed, causing the ex-prince to let out a startled gasp, and fell over. He blinked a couple times to regain his focus, and when he did, he nervously glanced over to the tall man behind her. No words were spoken—he knew he was screwed.

"Um… hey," He coughed, licking his lips to find them dry. He awkwardly waved at her. "What's up?"

Anna's eyes blazed with anger. "What's up? WHAT'S UP? You're supposed to be in jail, but you've escaped, later deciding on doing god-knows-what, and you ask me **WHAT'S UP?!"** She grabbed his shirt collar, "You're lucky I don't want to kill you right now! You're the reason behind all this weird black sand, aren't you?! You teamed up with Pitch!" She screeched, her voice echoing the throne room.

"A-anna, I…"

"DIDN'T YOU?!"

Kristoff sighed and placed his arm around her shoulder. "Anna, that's enough. Let him talk."

She glared at him, but she was sensible enough to listen to him. She fixed her gaze on Hans. "Alright. _I'll let him talk." _

When the princess gave him enough breathing room, Hans was able to think clearer. The blinding light was hard to see through, as he became used to the dark in his home. No… wait… he shouldn't call it that anymore. It never was, anyway.

He realized right then just how de-humanized he became. Hanging out with Pitch didn't bring him any kind of fame or fortune… at least, the kind he envisioned in his head. And he knew without a doubt that he'll never get it at this rate. It was too late for apologizes.

"I know whatever I say now you won't… you won't believe me," He began, stopping his shaking hands by keeping them in his pockets. "But the least I can ask is if you could hear me out." She nodded begrudgingly, looking over at the man next to her. He gave her a lopsided smile.

Hans took a deep breath, and decided to stare at the floor as he spoke. "I didn't like it down there in the cells. I-it was… I went insane in that place; all I could remember was staring at those dead, lifeless faces… day after day. Well, at least, when I thought it was daytime—it was hard to tell. This one guard, Sebastian, tried his best to keep me grounded. It's unfortunate that he lost his mind before I did." He sighed, "That's when Pitch found me. At first, I was scared. I didn't know why a weird guy with a black cloak would want with a pathetic soul like me. But he promised me fame. He promised that I would be treated like the king I was meant to be, that I would have a home and everything… that I would have a family…" He felt his fists clench, "Well, I kind of got that. He gave his powers to me, and with them I was able to spread fear wherever I wanted. I knew everybody's worst nightmares. They comforted me when I didn't know any better. I was able to do all those things, as long as I was able to go through with his plan… of… kidnapping you." He paused, waiting for Anna's reaction. A slap. A yell. A cry.

But… she did _nothing._ She just stared at him and nodded to move on. The man next to her shifted his weight to the other foot.

"See, here's the thing. I was able to spread fear within every country all through Europe, but I couldn't reach Arendelle. My powers were… they were blocked by something. Even to this day I can't fathom why. So I let my anger get the best of me. It's why I attacked Jack Frost—he was the only target I could reach. It wasn't a part of the plan, and I got in trouble for it, but… it was worth it. I finally felt like I was in control of something. At the same time, though…" He sighed, "I could remember feeling so alone. I did what I did because I just needed… I-I needed to…"

Kristoff stared at him in surprise as he broke down then, hiding his shameful face in his hands. He just cried out his fears, not caring of what his consequences were. Even if he didn't admit it, he was happy that Pitch was no longer in control. He was a free man; free of duties, and burden. Still, he might have the memory, but he's been through enough to know that it'll never happen again.

If that hadn't been a shock to the prince, what shocked him more was that Anna bent over to wrap her arms around him. She started to cry as well, hiding her face in Hans's messy brown hair.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" Hans whimpered, clutching onto her like it was his last day. "I don't care if it's too late for apologies, I don't care… w-what I did to you… what I did to_ your sister…_ just… I realize now how stupid I was. I was greedy, and…"

"…and an idiot?" Anna hiccupped, wiping her face with the back of her hand.

He reached out for her to help him up, but it was the man next to her who helped him instead. He stared at the ice harvester in shock, but swallowed his words and gave him a silent thank you.

"If a man could come out of those cells with his head straight and could form a proper apology, than you're lucky you didn't get your head chopped off," He muttered, "But you won't be forgiven so easily. You're going to show us where Pitch is, so we could help out Elsa and Jack, and you're going to do it without question," He pointed a finger, "You understand?"

"Y-yes… uh…"

"Kristoff. Anna's husband." He told him gruffly.

Hans nodded. "Right. Kristoff."

Anna giggled at the awkward exchange and pushed a piece of hair out of her face, rubbing her husband's shoulder. "Enough with the icy looks, honey, we need him alive."

He rolled his eyes and nodded over to Hans. "Okay. So where do you think Pitch is? Any ideas at all?"

Hans rubbed the small of his neck nervously, shifting his gaze between the prince and the princess. "I… I don't. I lost my connection with him ever since he blasted me with his sand… but… I think I… have some power left… to… hang on," he grunted and focused on a certain point in the room, trying to remember the dreadful training sessions. He closed his eyes as he shot a shadow-like door, and it materialized in front of them. Anna let out a gasp of surprise when she saw the thing, nudging her husband to take a closer look. They could see someone in there. A picture, a prediction of what might happen.

The ex-prince opened his eyes and nearly collapsed when he saw the Queen of Arendelle, clutching a small girl from the shadows trying to engulf her. She wouldn't let it get to her though, and that's what was so surprising to him.


	20. Chapter 20

***hums quietly to 'let it go'* *checks story before posting chapter up* 0.o... **

**OVER 100 FOLLOWERS AND 63 FAVES? holy... wow, thanks so much darlings. :'D I've had a really bad time at school this past week; my english teacher resigned his post and everyone's been talking crap about it, and I'm just kinda sitting there in the corner... thinking like... x/ ugh, it's just been so frustrating. I still got a shit-ton of homework to make up because I just couldn't bring myself to do it this week... *sigh*... to be honest I wasn't even going to post this chapter up, but seeing how much you guys enjoy my little story here changed my mind. :3 Well, not 'little' per say, but you know what I mean. We're nearing the end of Jack and Elsa's story, but don't worry! I have a sequel in-the-works. I'd be damned if I didn't write one. **

**Welp, hope you like this. I really hope I don't disappoint with the epic scene about to commence. *bites nails in anticipation* **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter twenty: The Boogeyman versus love itself_

* * *

"_Elsa!"_ The princess screeched, reaching out for her. Her hands disappeared within the growing shadow, causing it to flicker. Hans grunted as he lost control for just a second, and Kristoff pulled his wife back.

"Anna, are you _insane?" _He demanded, hugging onto her shoulders. She tried to get away from him. "There's no way you're going in there!"

"No! I have to… she's… ugh… she's in trouble!" She complained, one hand reaching out to touch the portal while the other was on her stomach.

Hans shook his head at them, "Go! Go now, before I lose them!"

Kristoff turned to glare. "What are you talking about?"

The pressure that was coming from the portal suddenly swept across the room, black sand surrounding the three in like a hurricane would. Kristoff covered his eyes with his sleeve.

"This is how I was able to burn down those villages! Not only does this power enable me to see where there's fear, I can reach it without problem. But now that my power is going out… this'll probably be the last chance… please, trust me, it's the least I can do. Stop Pitch before it's too late!"

Running a hand through his blond hair, Kristoff nodded, and took Anna's hand. She gasped as she looked up at him. "On the count of three, we're going to jump."

She smiled, and took a deep breath. "Okay. One…"

The portal flickered, causing the scene to vanish.

"Two…"

Hans felt his knees loose balance.

"THREE!"

Both of them were pushed into the shadow, but Kristoff made sure he went first so he had a firm grip on Anna. The feeling of weightlessness only lasted for a few seconds, as they landed safely –and coincidentally- on a broken couch nearby a crosswalk. He glanced back at the portal for a few seconds only to see that it disappeared, and all he saw was the night sky.

No stars were out, though. It was tough to see pass all the black sand.

"Phew! What a rush…" Anna muttered, balancing herself on Kristoff's shoulder. He let out a sigh of relief as he hopped off the couch, and took Anna's hands to help her. "So… I guess we're here now."

He nodded to himself, looking past the desolate houses. "Welcome to Burgess," He muttered and took a step forward. All movement ceased when he saw a black horse pierce the skies just then, getting a little too close for comfort. "Wh-whoa!" He gulped, pushing Anna behind him.

She shrieked and clutched onto his shoulder. "What the hell was that?! The thing almost killed us!" She started to breath quickly, hiding her face best she could. "Oh, oh _god,_ if that happens again I'm going to throw up…"

"I think that was the original plan…" He blanched when he saw that the horse noticed them, and turned his yellow eyes look their way. For a split second he turned around and nodded, before glaring back at the nightmare horse. "Anna… you trust me, right?"

"If I didn't, why would I marry you?" She spat, "Kristoff, what are—"

"THEN RUN!" With one sweep, Kristoff grabbed a broken poll and swung it at the horse. It let out a hollowly shriek and reared back, using its teeth to stop the blow. However Kristoff held a firm grip –thanks to all that ice harvesting- and flung him into the building ahead. Anna whimpered as she watched the sight as she was unwillingly pushed backwards. Thankfully though, she was caught in someone's arms, and she glanced up to see the Easter Bunny. He breathed out a chuckle.

"For a second I thought I wasn't going to catch you. You're heavier than you look, Red."

She ignored her and reached out to Kristoff. "Put me down! Put me down, damnit!"

He shook his head. "Nope. Husband's orders. Besides, you want to help out your sister, don't you? She's just a few blocks away." Anna's eyes grew wide at that statement and nodded. "Hold on tight. I'll make sure to get you there safe."

_Oh great… _She thought, tucking her hands around his neck. She gave one final glance towards her husband before they hopped off.

The two made it to the scene within the few seconds. Anna had to blink a few times to see if she wasn't going crazy, eyes growing wide when she saw a bunch of teens fighting off the nightmares, along with other familiar characters she'd never fathomed she'd meet. However, all she was focused on was Elsa, who currently used an ice sword to fight off a creature from the Dark Ages.

"Elsa!" She exclaimed, and Bunnymund sighed as he reluctantly put her down. She reached out to her, calling her name as loud as she could.

The Queen turned –not before slicing the horse in half- to stare at her in shock. "Anna! What are you doing here? Where's Kristoff?" She panicked, but grabbed Anna's hands. The fighting around them became even more intense.

"He's… he's fighting one of these things. Don't worry… I came by to help you! Hans showed us how to get here."

"Hans?" Elsa mumbled, eye twitching. She didn't trust him after what he did.

Anna bit her lip as she saw her sister's expression, and tried to tell the story within the few seconds she had. "Okay, well, it's a long story, but see the thing is—"

"You might want to duck," Jack called out from behind them, and shot a flurry of icicles at the creature that was just about to pull on her hair. She shrieked and did what she was told, clutching onto Elsa. He grunted and helped her up, looking around the battlefield. He noticed a massive black shadow floating above the building looming over them and narrowed his eyes. "Elsa," He told her, and she looked away from Anna for that one second. "If I'm not back in a half-hour at best, get the sleigh. You and your family would be safer in the workplace."

"Jack…?" She asked, giving him a confused look. She gasped when he hopped on his staff and flew upward, albeit slower than expected. Even still, she knew what his plan was. "Jack, NO! GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!"

He laughed as the wind helped push him forward. "It's nice to know you care about my well-being!" He shouted back, and disappeared within the black sand.

Anna placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine, Elsa."

"That's not what I'm worried about…" She mumbled, keeping her eyes focused on where Jack disappeared to.

The princess let out a sigh and clasped her hands together, eagerly motioning to her sister's sword. "Okay! Okay! Now make me a weapon!" Elsa gave her an odd look, but decided on creating a small hammer-like instrument, easy enough for Anna to hold and fight with. She reasoned with herself in that moment arguing with her pregnant sister wasn't worth it. Not when an angry creature of darkness was biting at her neck.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jack shivered. He was never cold. But for the first time of his life, his sweatshirt didn't keep him warm—it was as if there was some sort of outside force creating the extra frigid temperature. Or he was losing his mind. That seemed the only logical answer.

"Well, well, well, I didn't expect you to come up here," a sickening voice chuckled, and Jack gripped his staff tighter. "I figured you'd be dead by now."

He turned around slowly. "Save it, Pitch," He seethed, taking a step backwards. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" He mimicked, clenching his hands. "I'll tell you why. I've hidden in the shadows for too long. I needed someone to help me, someone who was able to understand what I've been through. You could've helped me out, you know, you could've gotten powers like Hans did."

"But then it'll all be about Pitch Black," Jack glared, narrowing his eyes. "Which it was, and I'm not desperate for attention. Hans was a different case—he had so much to live for though; now he's back to square one because of you. That was the whole plan with me, wasn't it? Fill lies into my head so you could become powerful? Give me false love and affection, only to take it all away in a second?" As he spoke, an angry flurry of ice began to spread out from his staff. "You're lower than I thought."

Pitch created black sand in his palm, showing it to him. "You'll never know what it's like… to feel at your weakest. To feel helpless with dread, and unable to do anything but order your puppets around!" He shot the dark magic at Jack, who blocked it with his own frost. However with each move, the white hair on his head became darker. "I had to go through that _twice!"_ He let out a bitter sigh. "Twice, Jack. That's one too many times."

The winter spirit rolled his eyes. "And you don't know what it feels like to be manipulated. You scarred her, Pitch, and I hope you're happy. Because now whenever she touches me she shudders!" He roared, and sent a blast of ice towards his way. "_She deserves better than that!"_ Pitch grunted in return when it hit his arm, but he just shrugged it off, feigning hurt.

He chuckled at the memory. "My plans didn't exactly go the way I wanted, but at least I managed to get into her nightmares. She fascinates me, you know. Very much."

"Keep talking," Jack growled, gritting his teeth, "I dare you."

"Oh, did I strike a nerve?" Pitch questioned, a wide smile spread across his face. He readied his powers again, and took a step forward. "It's about time I did, then."

And finally, the long-awaited battle began.

Pitch sent the blow first. Jack flew up in front of him, though slashing a mixture of ice and snow at the villain's face. He grunted in return and formed a familiar weapon, his pickax growing larger than it ever was. It seemed to hum with life and energy, something that Jack knew he couldn't compete with.

Not in the state he was in.

But he had to _try._

"That was for scaring her!" He shouted over the roar of thunder. He blocked his pickax with his staff, pushing it off of him. "And that was for tricking Hans!"

Pitch waved both of them off though like they were nothing, and snapped his finger to call his nightmare horse. He jumped on it, and, glaring the guardian down, charged forward. Jack stayed in his place as he stared into the eyes of the creature, keeping his staff steady.

He took the time right then to notice his surroundings. Each time his and Pitch's powers collided, they made a pillar of ice and shadow. There were so many of them so close, that it became too much for the building to hold. He could feel it shake with each step they took.

Jack raised his staff and smashed the item full-force into Pitch's ally, causing it to shriek and move onto his hind legs in fright. He pulled it out, but was surprised to see that the beast was still moving, and very much alive. Pitch laughed loudly as he got up from where he fell flat on the ground, rubbing his jaw-line. He ordered the horse to attack his self-proclaimed enemy once more, to which Jack dropped his staff onto the ground. It actually clattered in a downward spiral off of the roof, down to the battlefield where everyone else was.

Elsa glanced up at the scene in shock, unknowingly hitting the Dark Ages creature with the back of her hand. _No… I must be seeing things… th-that can't be… _

"Elsa?" Anna gasped, reaching out to grab her shirt. "Elsa, hey, what's the matter?"

"Jack…" She whimpered, feeling a terrible ache in her heart. But then just as quickly, her ache turned to anger, and she felt that she was no longer in control of her emotions—something that she hadn't felt in years. Her love was in trouble. That's all she knew. "JACK FROST!" She cried, the sound of her voice stopping everything in motion. On a whim, she used her powers to make a set of stairs to help her to the top of that roof, her eyes only seeing red.

Jack grunted in surprise as he pushed back the horse from him, causing it to sprawl on the ground next to Pitch. He coughed up blood as he struggled to stand up, but that didn't stop the boogeyman from sending one final blow.

"This is the last time _anyone_ will mess with me!" He roared, and sent a spiral of terrifying black sand out of his hands. However, instead of it hitting the one he intended to, he noticed the Snow Queen herself get into the middle. She shrieked and shot ice towards the horse that was charging at her, causing it to collapse. It didn't stop Pitch's fight, though, and the treacherous power hit her right in the heart. She let out a cry that pierced the heavens, collapsing into Jack's arms when he went over to catch her.

The two wobbled in their place for a few seconds…

… Before the building couldn't take the weight of them, and they began to fall towards the ground.


	21. Chapter 21

**I really couldn't think up of any other name for this chapter. :) There are some references in this, a cookie goes out for those who catch them. :3 **

**standard disclaimers apply- I don't own the song used. **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart_

_Chapter twenty-one: The Power that Conquers All  
_

* * *

"_Like this, Jack?" Elsa mumbled, blushing under his gaze. She examined the perfect snowflake in her hand, while the winter spirit behind her stared in wonder. _

_She's a natural at it! He chuckled. "Yeah, you got it. I don't even why you bothered asking for help from me, I mean—you've got everything I taught you on the first try. And I took years to prefect those skills!" _

_Elsa giggled and turned the snowflake into a snowball, flinging it at his head. "Oh, hush. I'm not as good as you." _

"_Wanna know what I think?" He smirked, wiping off the snow from his cheek. "I think you decided on this juuuust to get extra 'quality time' with me." _

"_Sure," She snorted with mirth, "And Olaf loves getting caught in a rainstorm." _

"_Hey! You actually used sarcasm!" He laughed, pumping his fist in the air. "That's a first." _

_Elsa rolled her eyes at him, hiding her blush with her hands. "Alright, snow-boy. Now what else did you want to show me?" _

Jack held Elsa tighter than he's ever held her before. He couldn't even make sense of what was going on around him, as distant memories of his past began to swirl in his mind. Someone, he didn't know who or from where, cried out in agony.

"W-we have to help them! Doesn't anybody know what to do?! KRISTOFF!"

He closed his eyes again.

"_Come on, you got this! It's just a few feet off the ground, remember when you ran across the fjord with me?" _

_Elsa panicked. "B-but I wasn't thinking properly then! This time I actually know what I'm doing, and I can openly say how terrified I am! Please, Jack, I can't!" _

"_See, this is your problem. You always tend to think so much whenever you try to break away. Just… take deep breaths… I won't let you fall, I promise." He assured her, keeping a firm grip on her hand. The Queen gulped and tried to do what she was told; the two of them were standing on the top of the tallest tree in Arendelle, and Jack wanted to teach her how to create frost when flying. _

_She calmed down a bit, but only for a second.  
_

"_You ready?" He asked her, about to leap off. _

"_Ye- no! NO! JACK! WAIT!" she exclaimed in fright, clutching onto him. He let out a gasp of surprise as he realized he couldn't hold her properly in this position, and lost his footing. The couple barreled towards the ground, Jack getting the short edge of the stick and hit his head against the bark of a tree. _

_Elsa finally opened her eyes again when she convinced herself that she was alive, and gasped at the sight Jack was in. She immediately put her hand on his forehead. "Oh my god, Jack, are you okay?" _

_He grunted and struggled to stand up, giving her a weak smirk in return. "I'm fine, Queenie. Just… could you get off my shaft, first? I kinda need it…" _

_She let out a squeak and nodded, getting off of him faster than the speed they fell in. She blushed and started to re-braid her hair, even though it looked better before. "S-so… um, would you like to try something else, then?" _

_He rolled his eyes. "You got lucky this time. Next time, though, I'm teaching you how to frost from up there. I refuse to fall for you womanly charms!" _

_Elsa folded her arms together and huffed. She stifled a giggle. _

All Elsa could feel was numb. She wasn't happy, and yet, she wasn't sad either. Just the feeling that she conquered something at least soothed her—never in a million years would she imagine that she would be able to save a man she loved. Or would even think to fall in love with a man.

She did, though. Against everything that was trying to tear them apart.

The terrified screams and cries around them went deaf to her, and she only heard Jack's erratic breathing kiss her lips. That, at least, was enough to comfort her.

"_Hey honey, I'm home!" Jack chuckled, surprising her with a backwards hug. Elsa gasped and pushed him away from her out of instinct, nearly freezing his hands together. _

_She gave him an icy look. "W-what was that for?" _

"_What, the 'honey' part or the part where I hugged you?" _

"_Both!" She wailed, turning a brilliant shade of pink. _

_He merely shrugged. "Oh, you know. Practice." _

_Elsa arched an eyebrow at him, and sighed, staring back at the picture she held in her hands. She couldn't believe how long it's been since then… and the fact that she actually missed them. _

"_Elsa? You… okay?" He mumbled, craning his neck so he could check out the photo. He sighed. "So these are your parents, huh?" _

"_Unfortunately," She replied, hurt in her voice. "I know I shouldn't miss them because of what they did to me, but they were all I've ever known, Jack. And today's the day they passed on that ship… Anna wouldn't even come out of her room—Kristoff assured me he'd stay with her." _

"_Kristoff would make a great dad." Jack muttered. _

"_Wouldn't he?" _

_Elsa half-expected for him to just randomly announce that they were going to begin training, but instead he grabbed her stomach and held her close to him, ignoring the fact that she kicked and pushed to keep him away. Eventually she stopped doing so, and cried softly into his shoulder. They didn't end up going to practice that night. _

It seemed like a million years, but the two finally collapsed on a blanket of beautiful sand, created by the teens and Sandy. Jack was the first to come to his senses and groaned, hearing the voices much clearer now. He didn't know where he landed—and he didn't care. His first instinct was to check on his love.

Anna was the first to reach them, grabbing a hold of her sister's hand. "Elsa? ELSA? Oh my god, Jack, what happened to her up there?"

He ignored her and started to breathe raggedly, his shaking hands taking a strand of hair out of her face. She was ice cold. When he touched her face he felt like crying out in fear, unsure of what to do.

She just fucking saved him, damnit. How in the name of Manny are you supposed to react to that?

If Jack weren't freaking out over this, he would've probably heard the horrifying laugh that escaped from Pitch as he flew down towards the scene.

"Not what I expected, again, but this'll do."

"PITCH BLACK!" Anna wailed, struggling to get up. Kristoff gulped as he ran over to her and grabbed her arm, causing her to fall back onto him. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING SON OF A—"

"_Anna!"_ Kristoff shushed her, noticing the angry tears streaming down her face. She was hurting herself more than she realized. He held her close to him, wrapping one arm around her belly and the other on her shoulder.

"For the last time, Kristoff, let me go!"

"_No!" _He shouted at her in the same demeanor. He narrowed his eyes when he looked over to see North creeping behind the boogeyman, eyes blazing red and double-edged blade in his hands. He mentally breathed a sigh of relief and hid his face in Anna's hair. _Santa's got this, baby. _

Pitch laughed at the scene unfolding before him. "You really think that you guys could defeat me now? Even in the state you're in? You've got to be ki—" his sentence was cut off though, as he felt a sharp prick on his back, and his eyes grew wide with shock. He reached for his heart in a state of fear and fell to the ground with a thud.

"And that was for *Nastia," North sneered at him, pulling the blade out of his back. He wiped off the black sand that lingered on the sword, kicking Pitch's side for good measure. "Your time is done, Pitch. It's time you realized that."

"Th-there… will always… be… _fear…!_" He coughed in return, hating the fact that he felt weaker by the second.

"And we will always be there to stop it." Jamie announced, with Cupcake nodding silently behind him. He glared as the boogeyman became swallowed by his nightmares –including his new creations- back into the shadows where he belonged. Nobody celebrated his quick death, though, and turned their attention over to Jack and Elsa, who were just coming to.

"Elsa?" He breathed out in surprise, his voice raspy. When she wouldn't open her eyes, he panicked. "Oh no. No no no no no, come on, stay with me, Elsa! Y-you can't be… I know you're stronger than this!" He whimpered, hands feeling cold against her touch. He didn't flinch, though; he had to tough it out for her.

"Jack…" North muttered with a sigh, stepping towards them. Bunnymund stopped him, placing his boomerang against his chest. He shook his head.

Anna choked on a sob as she reached out to Kristoff, who immediately grabbed her hand to comfort her.

The Guardian of Fun stifled a cry as he held her tight, staring at her cold face with grief. _You knew this was going to happen, didn't you Manny? You knew I was going to outlive her anyway—so you made us go through this… And you didn't tell me anything to prepare for what I'm feeling now! _"Sometimes I wish I never met you… that day. You would've been better off without me, I only mess things up anyways…"

Elsa felt like a knife was getting stabbed at her heart—did he honestly think that? With the little strength she had left, she craned her neck so she could reach out to touch his face. Jack's expression didn't change as he grabbed her hand. "You don't really think that… do you?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. _I'm sorry. _ "I've caused you more pain than I should've. What good would come out of this—hypothetically—if everything works out? I wouldn't be able to grow old with you… just like everyone else here…"

"Jack, stop it!" Elsa sobbed as she slapped his cheek, glaring at him. "Listen… I'd rather die today… than live my entire life without knowing you. Y-you… you mean everything to me, Jack. And I thank you—because until a few months ago I didn't know shit about love."

"Elsa…" He only whimpered, flinching along with her as the black power seeped within her blood.

"Jack," She sighed in return; she took a deep breath. Then, much to everyone's surprise, her sweet, melodic voice filled the air.

_**If I never… knew you… **_

_**If I never felt this love **_

_**I would have no inkling of **_

_**How precious life can be… **_

Jack hid his tears in her hair and held her close.

_**And if I never held you **_

_**I would never have a clue **_

_**How at last I'd find in you… **_

…_**The missing part of me. **_

He chuckled at that despite himself, knowing all too well how true that line was. She sang the next line with confidence.

_**In this world so full of fear **_

_**Full of rage… and lies **_

_**I can see the truth so clear**_

_**In your eyes… so dry your eyes… **_

He shook his head, but she did it for him anyway, her hands shaking.

_**And I'm so grateful to you **_

_**I'd have lived my whole life through **_

_**Lost forever… if I never knew you **_

_**If I never knew you, **_

_**Yes, I'd be safe but half as real **_

_**Never knowing I would feel… **_

_**A love so strong and true. **_

Anna mustered up the courage to look at her sister right then, nearly crying out at the sight, but she held strong, taking Elsa's hand into hers. The Queen noticed this, and with a smile, began to sing again.

_**I'm so grateful to you **_

_**I have lived my whole life through**_

…_**Lost… forever… **_

_**If I never… knew… you… **_

Now, Jack doesn't sing. His voice didn't even compare to how beautiful hers was, or Kristoff's for that matter. But he knew he would never forgive himself if he answered her.

_I thought our love would be so beautiful_

_Somehow we'd make the whole world bright_

_I never knew that fear… and hate could be so strong__  
_

_All they'd leave us were these whispers in the night… _

_But still my heart is saying we were right_

_**Oh if I never knew you**_

_There's no moment I regret_

_**If I never felt this love**_

_Since the moment that we met_

_**I would have no inkling of**_

_If our time has gone too fast_

_**How precious life can be...**_

_**I've lived at last...**_

Elsa glanced up at him in shock, a wry smirk written across her face. He heaved a sigh and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say 'hey, I tried', but no words came to him at all. For a moment he pictured the two of them in a different time-frame, where there was no fear. Just love. Together, they completed the final verse of the song, despite everything that was at risk.

_And if I never knew you_

_**If I never knew you….**_

_**….**__I'd have lived my whole life through_

_**Empty as the sky… **_

_Never… knowing why_

_**Lost… forever… **_

_**If I never… knew… you**_

"Elsa…" He breathed out, this time visibly flinching when he touched her forehead. The inevitable has happened—her eyes had rolled to the back of her head towards the end of the verse, and she gave her soul up to Manny; her hand fell to the ground next to them, limp. "_ELSA!"_

* * *

**Okayy… that's all for now. xD ….NOT! Eheh, do you really think I would do that to you guys? ;) Read on, darlings, take deep breaths. Everything's going to be fine.**

0o0o0o0o0o0o

Anna broke down in sobs then, pounding her fists into the soft dream-sand around them. Kristoff bowed his head, keeping his hold on her best he could, while letting a few tears of his own fall.

Jack kept his lips in a thin line as he held onto Elsa's cold body, his hands shaking in fury. Tooth sobbed quietly to herself while Bunnymund grabbed Sophie and put her in his arms, keeping her away from the terrible sight. This time, North was able to get through the crowd of children, and kneeled down beside his comrade. He placed a hand on Elsa's forehead.

"You have… done more than what I could've, Jack. I'm sure Elsa, up there, is very proud of you."

"I know." He mumbled in return. _There was nothing I could've done, anyway. _

"Jack, death is inevitable. But… it is not something to be feared. For she will always be with us… in here, yah? In your center." He assured him, pressing a large thumb at Jack's chest.

"It's funny," He whispered softly, "No one expected me to fall for someone like her. And here I am… with my heart wreaked into pieces..."

Anna sniffed and placed an arm around Jack's shoulder, her eyes shimmering with tears. "Yeah, that's love for you, Jack. Thank you… e-e-even after the Thaw I was never able to get through to her, but somehow you did. For what it's worth… I don't care if you aren't a royal… if you ever took her hand in marriage, I wouldn't care what anyone else would say and I'd host the wedding myself."

Jack smiled gratefully at her and nodded. He then stared at Elsa's gorgeous locks, narrowing his eyebrows. _There's got to be another way… to save her… and I'm trying to remember something, but… what was it? _He took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, closing his eyes from everyone around him.

"_Did you… did you see that?!" Jack cried out with surprise, showing the memory to Baby Tooth. She shook her tiny head. _

_He laughed and picked her up, "It—it was me! I had a family, I had a sister! I SAVED HER!" He stifled a laugh as he looked towards the sky, "That's why he chose me…" he grinned, "I'm… I'm a Guardian." _

"_We have to get out of here." _

_With hope renewed, he saw his staff broken in two and ran over to it, taking both ends in each hand. He glared at the damage Pitch has done and shook his head reverently, closing his eyes. It was a crazy idea, but it had to work. He put both ends together, but it nothing happened at first. He grunted in frustration and stood up to try again, this time keeping a firm hold. _

_In seconds a beautiful frost-like glow appeared before him, and began to mend the two together. _

Jack's eyes widened at the memory and glanced over at his staff which was sliced in two once more, and he glanced back down to Elsa. Thunder began to clash in the sky and the teens –Jamie and Cupcake included- rushed to find cover somewhere. However the guardians stayed put, and North, who had his blade blocking him from the rain, nodded over to the winter spirit.

"We'll bury her up in the mountains, Jack, so you could visit her—"

"_No!"_ He exclaimed furiously, "No, no I know how to bring her back! Trust me on this!" He snapped, tears streaming down his cheeks, "Please."

Kristoff and Anna shared a look, while Tooth just sighed. She gave him a weak smile. Her eyes told him it was alright to go on with it—a silent affirmation. And that's all he needed.

Jack took a deep breath and placed Elsa down on the sand, letting his hands trace over her delicate body. _I can't believe she actually died for me… _he stopped right below her chest, staring into her dull, lifeless eyes. _Love really is something wonderful… _"It's just a nightmare, Elsie. You'll wake up soon." He assured her, and pressed his lips up against her own. At this was happening, the powers he had left helped restore her, and a beautiful showcase of snowflakes and frost started to dance around them, causing Anna and Kristoff to stare at the scene in wonder. Then it all turned into just one single droplet of snow, before disappearing again.

Everything stopped for that one second. Jack pulled away from her, hands shaking with anticipation. He let out a sigh as his love started to have a pulse—and slowly, oh so slowly, opened her tired eyes.

"Jack…?"

"Y-yeah, Elsa?" He chuckled tearfully, beaming down at her.

"I knew you could do it." She whispered, and with a giggle of her own, flung herself into his arms.


	22. Chapter 22

**I try to keep my chapters 2000-3000 words, but I didn't have the heart to split it up. So this is gonna be a filler for you guys; I suggest getting popcorn, pulling up a chair, and kill time for a few hours. You seriously won't regret it. XD Oh, and another thing. There's a love scene in here, or "lemon" as the fandom calls it, which is one of the many reasons why I bumped the rating. I know I have a lot of younger viewers, and my only advice is to read it at your own risk. I always knew that this was going to happen, but I just needed a reason for it; love is something sacred, and wonderful, and I wanted to give Elsa and Jack a little taste of happiness. So, again, please be mature about this. I don't like flames. We're only one more chapter left until this whopper is over, and I thank everyone who's read/reviewed/favorited this story. Really, you have no idea how floored I am right now. well, stay frosty, darlings. :3 **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter twenty-two: the crazy things we do for love_

* * *

"Lucia! Lucia, Lucia, Lucia!" She heard her name echo through the halls, and she quickly stepped out of the room. The servant let out a groan as she was pulled into a hug, opening her restless eyes to see her friend Gerda.

She giggled and pushed her away. "Hey… what's up with you?"

"The royal sisters are back! And Elsa's got herself a suitor!" She exclaimed giddily. Lucia gave her an odd look. "I'm not kidding—those two were hugging and kissing and everything just now! _Come on!"_

She rolled her eyes, silently deciding to go along with her old friend. She stopped short when she noticed the growing crowd, but it wasn't like the angry mob she heard outside a few days ago. These people were actually happy; they were rejoicing that the battle was over, and their home was at peace again. She felt a smile spread across her face, something that she hadn't done in a while; at least, not since she discovered that her long lost brother had finally returned.

She smiled even wider when she saw her son in the mix of the crowd as well. Oh, how she missed the little tyke!

"Mommy!" He cried out, hopping out of Kai's arms and ran into hers. She giggled and reached out to hug him, but he jumped on top of her, causing the both of them to fall onto the ground.

"Oh Danny, my darling… did Mr. Kai keep you safe?" She asked, kissing every inch of his face. He grunted and made a disgusted sound, but giggled nonetheless. He nodded.

"Yup! I didn't even have any nightmares when I got sleepy."

_Thank goodness… _She breathed out a sigh of relief, smiling gratefully at the servant, who blushed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. Gerda raised her eyebrow at the scene and smirked.

Her attention was drawn from her friends, though, when she glanced over to her Queen. She was carried bridal-style by a young man—he could pass for just over eighteen—with auburn brown hair and crystal blue eyes; he wore a blue sweatshirt with a twinge of brown sown in between the pockets, and wore matching pants. His feet, though, were bare.

_Well, _Lucia thought with a smile, _He's certainly much better behaved than the other's she'd had to court. And that look of love he gives her! It's absolutely adorable. _However that wasn't the only thing which surprised her; driving the sleigh was Santa Clause himself, along with the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and –her personal favorite- the Sandman. The prince and Princess were getting off it right after them; she let out a sigh of relief.

"Will we ever see you again?" Anna had asked the large man, a wide smile spread across her face.

He chuckled merrily. "Ahh, we'll always be here—Arendelle's our favorite place to visit, after all! Just concentrate, and we'll come back. Besides… it IS almost Christmas."

She nodded and, for a moment looked as if she was debating on what she should do. She then through her hands up in defeat and ran over to give him a hug, causing Kristoff to chuckle beside her. "Thank you," She whispered through her tears, and Santa put her hand under her chin.

"Why're you thankin' me, eh? Jack came to Elsa on his own—I just gave 'em a little push. Make sure you keep an eye out for him, alright? Even though he's human again, that's no excuse for the boy."

"You make it sound like I need a leash! Really feeling the love, here, North." He exclaimed, having overheard the conversation. Elsa giggled and placed a hand on his cheek.

"Oh, you don't need a leash, snowflake—I'd recommend a bell. That way we can always keep an eye on you."

Jack smirked. "Ouch."

Bunnymund burst out in a fit of laughter and slapped his old friend on the back, the crowd laughing along with him. They weren't perturbed by these new characters—they've seen many odder things on a daily basis.

North checked the time on his watch and nodded over to the Sandman, who smirked. "We must go now, we've got children to protect. It's been fun getting to meet all of you! Ready, Sandy?"

He nodded, and, with a pull on the reigns, the sleigh took off. The guardian let out an array of beautiful creatures from his palm, causing gasps to come from the children in the crowd. Tigers, giant dinosaurs, any animal to the smallest critter danced through the streets, filling everyone with happiness. Kristoff picked up Anna into his arms and kissed her. Then within moments a giant crater ripped open the sky, and the guardians disappeared.

"HEY! Hey, guys!" A voice called out to them, and their heads turned to see Olaf riding on top of Sven. "YOU'RE OKAY! Sven and I were so worried about you!"

"O-olaf!" Anna giggled, catching the snowman in her arms as he hopped off of the reindeer.

"_Sven!_ Whoa, whoa, easy, buddy!" Kristoff chuckled and spread his arms open so he could hug him.

"Where were you two?" Elsa asked, nodding over to Jack who reluctantly put her down. She placed a comforting hand on the snowman's cheek.

"We were guarding that traitor Hans, since no one else wanted to. He really needs a lady friend." He huffed, folding his arms. Anna sighed tiredly.

"Thank you, Olaf… we'll settle that… situation later."

He nodded and glanced over to Jack, tilting his head to one side. "So, did you guys run away and get married, or something?"

Elsa and Jack stared at each other for a few moments before bursting out in laughter. "'Or something,'" They replied, before looking back at each other lovingly.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

_~Several months later~_

It was harder to be human than he originally thought. For years he'd imagined what it'd be like, to feel again, to be normal for once. But—Jack knew there was no such thing as that word, when it came to him. Especially when he fell in love with a beautiful snow queen; that topped everything else.

He sighed as he fixed the collar of his suit, staring at himself in the mirror. He let his brown hair grow out, refusing to let anyone cut it. It's been over three hundred years since he's had it—he wasn't taking the chance this time around. His outfit he currently wore had a navy blue top, with a matching tie and light brown trousers. Despite the new appearance, he also refused to wear shoes. It was an old thing he found in one of the closets he had in his room. He'd shown it to Kristoff who suggested that he should wear it whenever they had a ball.

This was—coincidentally—why he dressed up tonight. Elsa had to choose one of her suitors to marry. She had begged, pleaded with the council to not hold it, but they refused each and every request—the countries were getting antsy with waiting, and the royal line had to continue no matter what. Jack hated that their love had to be kept secret; for as of right now he was nothing more than a common servant, and his cover up story was that he forgot where he came from, and the Queen saved him from a deadly fall. He coughed as he shook his head at the memory.

Another downside to being human: he was easily prone to the flu. It had been passed around throughout the long, harsh winter, and the snow had only recently cleared up; now it was around mid-March and the damage had been fixed, but the memory as to what happened will stay forever with the kingdom's people. Jack was one of the first to catch it—he pushed Elsa away so she wouldn't get sick since she had to host the ball tonight, and assured her that everything would be fine. He was going to get his lazy ass up and surprise her—he didn't give to shits about what the members of the council say, he was going to proclaim his love for her right then and there. They had been through too much together to just end up playing a game of pretend.

Jack was almost finished fixing his tie in the mirror when there was a knock at the door, and he called the person in.

"People are starting to gather in the Great Hall—just thought I'd let you know." Kristoff said to him, smiling warmly. "Hey, that actually looks pretty good on you."

"Thanks," Jack chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Is… is Elsa ready, yet?"

Kristoff shrugged, "I wouldn't know. Anna's checking," He gave him a look of sympathy. "Are you going to tell her tonight?"

"I have no other choice—it's stupid how they're forcing this onto her. She wouldn't be happy if she married a man other than me… not after what we've been through. I won't allow it."

He grinned, "I know you won't. May I see the ring?"

Jack nodded and took a blue box out of his pockets, and opened it to reveal a pretty, crystal blue sapphire, just matching Elsa's eyes. The whole design was shaped like a snowflake, out of pure ice. It sparkled in the sunlight.

"Whoa," Kristoff stared in wonder, "H-how did you even manage to…?"

"I sent a letter to North, explaining him what was going on a few weeks ago. I would've made it myself, but… well, you understand." He sniffed and stuffed it back in. "I can't believe I'm crazy enough to go through with this."

Kristoff gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Everything will be fine, Jack. Make sure you come into the crowd a few moments after her speech. Or, if you're feeling bold enough, during."

"I guess I'll figure something out," he chuckled, feeling his confidence coming back to him. Kristoff nodded in approval and nodded towards the door.

"Well, I gotta go. I'm sure my wife is missing me by now. Good luck." He said, and with one reassuring slap on the shoulder, walked out.

Jackson Overland sighed and stared back at himself in the mirror.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Oh Elsa, you look absolutely beautiful," Anna murmured, placing a hand to her mouth. She was being honest—instead of her usual crystallized dress, she had gone for more formal attire; a red gown that hung low to her waist, with sparkles –put in by herself- was designed beautifully at the top. Sir Aaron had suggested it a few days ago, more or less under his sister's orders. **A/N: for insight on what I'm describing, think of what PINK wore at the Oscars, when she sang **_**Somewhere Over the Rainbow.**_** God, I nearly cried when I heard her. She's so awesomeee! C: **

"I don't feel beautiful," Elsa grumbled in return, sighing in grief. "I can't… not when I'm forced to marry someone I don't love."

"Sister…" the strawberry blonde said quietly as she went over to hug her. "You could just say no—or even better, completely skip tonight and hang out with Jack," She thought over what she had just said. "…then again, that wouldn't set up a good example…yeah, never mind, forget what I just said."

"Anna, I'm scared." She whimpered, letting the tears fall down her face. "I-I'm not ready for marriage, hell, people expect me to become a mother! There's nothing that could prepare me for that, Anna! I… I could hurt them u-unknowingly…" She sobbed, "And I doubt Jack wants to start a family with me either… he hasn't told me, otherwise."

"Oh my god, listen to yourself," Anna giggled, grabbing her sister's shoulders. "Sheesh, you're acting more hormonal than I do on a daily basis! You're freaking out over nothing, Elsa."

"What do you mean by tha—"

"_I mean,"_ Anna stressed before she could continue, "Just tell everyone tonight, at the ball. Tell them what you just told me. Then you saunter out of the room like a fucking boss."

"Anna! Language!" She exclaimed in a hushed tone, pointing to her sister's very large stomach. A small blush was creeping on her face.

She kept a straight face in return. "Elsa, you're stronger than what you give yourself credit for. If you don't come to terms with anything it'll just end up eating you alive. Please, I'm begging you, just do it. Thank me later."

Elsa closed her eyes as she sighed, before wrapping her sister in a hug. "Y-yes, you're right. I… I need to show them who really makes the rules around here," She eased a soft smile. "Tonight… tonight things will change. I'll do it for you."

"You can do it, sister." Anna cheered, hugging her again. She giggled and placed a hand on her stomach. "Pretty soon you're gonna have a cousin, Josef."

"Ooooh, _no._ That's not going to happen for another five years, at best." Elsa muttered with a blush, "But don't get your hopes up."

She smiled and nodded, before turning around to face the door. "I can hear the people gathering in the Great Hall… and I smell chocolate… is ten minutes enough time for you?"

_More than enough, _"Yeah. I'll be right behind you, I promise."

If anything, the balls in Arendelle were the main attraction most people came to see. Tourists from far and wide dreamed of getting a glimpse of the beautiful Norway architecture, and the lovely monuments waiting for them to explore. But when they had to choose, it had to be meeting the royal family of Arendelle themselves. Each one had their own wonderful quality that just made one feel like they fit right in, and could leave feeling happier than before. It helped a great deal that the gates were always open now.

The Great Hall was exceptionally crowded tonight. In the center of it all, was Elsa, sitting anxiously on her throne. She peered out into the crowd and saw Anna talking with her dear friends Rapunzel and Eugene, while having a giant jar of chocolate in both hands. As Elsa looked closer, she noticed that Rapunzel's stomach was swollen too, and she quickly jumped to the conclusion that she was expecting. _That explains things, _She giggled to herself, _I was wondering why they didn't leave when their boat to Corona was at the docks. I really need to get out more. _Kristoff was to the side talking with Kai and Olaf; he was still a little awkward at these big events, even now after so many years had passed.

She could admit to herself that she was happy, but… the inkling that she knew Jack couldn't come tonight irked her. He made these long and boring events memorable, and she even danced with him a few times, which surprised everyone.

"You look beautiful tonight, my Queen." A voice startled her out of her thoughts, and she glanced up. A frown spread across her face when it wasn't Jack, but Sir Aaron. "I see you picked out the dress I offered… well, it's more like my sister forced me to give it to you, but… you know."

Elsa forced a giggle. "Yes. I couldn't pass up the opportunity, Mr. Aaron. I really didn't see any other dress to fit this occasion." _Stop lying to him. He'll get the wrong idea… keep this up and you're setting yourself up for embarrassment! _She bit her lip and twiddled with her thumbs.

"So…," He coughed, trying to ease the awkward silence, "Where is that strange boy who is usually always by you? He didn't catch the flu that's been passed around, did he?"

"Jackson," She seethed, "And yes, he did. I told him to rest up, even though he refused and said he was fine. And he isn't a boy. Nor is he strange, either."

Sir Aaron did a double-take. "My… my apologies, Queen Elsa. I didn't know you'd take offence to that."

_He's more of a man than you'd ever be. He brought me back to fucking life, damnit, what did you do?! Cringe and hide in a corner? _

Elsa closed her eyes to try and keep her emotions in cheek, but it didn't help the fact that her hands were shaking. The nobleman took a step back –a little frightened, even if he didn't want to admit it- and bowed. "I will be talking to you again shortly. Fare thee well, Queen Elsa." She nodded as he rushed off into the crowd.

To make matters worse for her, a clergyman cleared his throat beside her. He gave her a small wave. "Uhm… your highness, you have to make the announcement now." She wanted to glare at him so badly, but she controlled herself. She nodded through a strangled sigh.

"Alright. Just give me a moment."

The crowd continued to chatter amongst themselves for a few more minutes until the Queen finally cleared her throat, and clasped her hands together. She shared a look with Anna, who gave her an encouraging nod along with Rapunzel and Eugene. Kristoff came up behind her sister to be next to her.

"May I have everyone's attention?" She asked, smiling softly when they all looked up with her. _Okay, Elsa, you can do this… remember what Anna said. _"Thank you. So, as everyone knows many suitors have asked for my hand in marriage—using the age old excuse that the royal line has to continue. Well, you clergymen demanded me to make a decision by tonight, so here it is. I am choosing none of you." She paused for a moment to let that sink into the crowd, and angry murmurs spread through the suitors like wildfire, Sir Aaron included. "I hold nothing against you men or your countries, it is simply because you don't fit my satisfaction. And there is a reason for it—my heart is taken by another man who had saved me only a few months ago, and he by far has proven his love for my quicker than any of you did. My decision is final."

Anna nodded her head eagerly. _Way to go, Elsa, you really got them mad! _A wide smile spread across her face in pride.

"This is an outrage!" Sir Aaron blurted out, clenching his fists. "You make a mockery of me by wearing the dress my sister and I picked for you, and you deny my marriage proposal! Who do you think you are?"

"Ohh, heh, I'm sure she knows," Somebody chuckled, causing him to turn around. Elsa couldn't contain her grin as she saw Jack emerge from the large crowd in front of them, wearing a suit and tie. He looked absolutely _handsome,_ but Elsa preferred the casual Jack better. "Better luck next time though, dude, I know there's someone out there for you. I mean, if you bother looking."

"Oooh, buuuurn." Olaf snickered, nudging Sven. The reindeer smirked. "He better get some ice for that."

Elsa hid her blush with her hand. "J-jack, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be…" When the realization dawned on her, she let out a gasp. "You little trickster! You were faking it the whole time, weren't you?!"

"Well, for the first month I really was." Jack smiled as he strolled towards her past the crowd, taking her warm hands into his. "If I didn't the other half, I wouldn't be able to do this…"

"Jack… wh-what… what are y—" _Is he seriously about to do what I think he's doing? _Her breath caught in her throat as he got down on one knee while taking her left hand, and pulled out a tiny blue box from his pocket. His entire body was shaking with nerves, but he forced himself to continue anyway.

"Elsa… all my life, I wondered what my purpose was. I traveled this Earth for over 300 hundred years, unsure of what I was truly capable of. In truth it was fun being the Guardian of Winter and Fun, spreading joy to children for all those years, but every time I saw them grow up, and have families of their own… it reminded me of how lonely I truly was. Pitch was right about that one thing, at least—when those kids stop believing in you, it's the deadliest curse nobody wants to live through…" He sighed and looked into her eyes, his voice cracking with emotion. "And it grew even stronger when… when I met you, Elsa. That lingering fear of knowing that you'll grow up someday… but… I had to stay with you, to protect you from Pitch. I couldn't leave you, I'd rather you live a long and happy life than see you die in the claws of him. I tried to convince myself that what I was feeling was a fantasy I'd created, something to ease my dying spirit. But… after what we've been through together… I know now that our love is something that not even the darkest fear can break apart. So to make sure that doesn't happen again," He opened up the box, but nearly dropped it due to his shaking hands. Elsa giggled at him and knelt down to meet his eye-level, taking his hand into his. "Th-thanks," He muttered, sniffing. "Queen Elsa… of Arendelle… would you marry me?"

Elsa smiled tearfully, grabbing his shaking hands into hers. Her heart swelled with love right then, -well, it always did, now it was just more so than ever- and her eyes portrayed the true answer; she didn't exactly trust her voice, so she just nodded, endless giggles escaping her lips.

"Yes?" He asked huskily just to be sure, hesitating to slip the ring on her finger.

"Yes, a thousand times yes." She cried and pulled him into a kiss. The two didn't notice as the crowd broke into cheers, while some of her suitors groaned in disappointment. They were just in their own little world again, reigning in the happiness they rightfully deserved. She kissed every inch of his face, as if she was reminding herself that this was really real, and muttered words of love she'd never thought she'd get the chance to.

"Whooo! She did it, she did it!" Anna exclaimed happily, pumping her fist in the air. She almost dropped her box of chocolates, but thankfully Kristoff caught it for her. Rapunzel and Eugene gave each other an odd look before giggling.

Elsa grinned mischievously at her new fiancée, who smirked back at her in return. "What do you want to do now, snow angel?" he asked her, loving the way she blushed at the new nickname.

"Now," She breathed, "You take me to my room."

**-Love scene- **

Jack closed his eyes for a second, the realization finally dawning in on him. He just proposed to the Queen of Arendelle—the woman he'd chased after for as long as he could remember, who he'd tried to break down her walls, and she did the same for him.

If he'd never met her, he'd still be letting the wind travel him, and he'd be free. But, he reminded himself that his previous freedom didn't compare at all to what he experienced just now, and he knew without a second's thought in his mind that he didn't regret any of his choices.

He may not be a guardian any longer, but he'll always look after his Elsa—giving her hope, fun times, and love. He swore to Manny everything would go alright.

Elsa peered up at him with hungry eyes and she placed her hand against his cheek, stroking it once.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" He asked her, and she answered him with a nod. "Alright, well… if you ever feel scared, just… tell me, okay? I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you, snowflake." She said through a hushed whisper, kissing his nose. She nodded to the floor, silently telling him to put her down. "I'm going to get un-dressed. Give me a few minutes."

"Take as long as you like," He assured her, and turned around just like she ordered. He, too, began to take off his clothes, and put them neatly by her hand-made dresser. He took a few, deep breaths to calm his own nerves, as he didn't want her to know that he was a little frightened as well. This was so new to him, now even more so that he was human for the second time. When he heard a nervous cough, he turned around to see a beauty—she was tall and slender, with fair, light skin that the light bounced off of. Her hair was undone so her long blond hair hung down to her waist, but it was a little messy due to the emotional stress she had herself go through these past few months. As he stared, he didn't see her as a Queen, or someone who held a high status. To Jackson, she was just Elsa, his friend, his comforter, and now, his lover. Most importantly, she really was an angel. "Wow." He breathed out, looking at her up and down once more.

Elsa giggled in return and smiled, playing with a strand of her hair. "Thank you, Jack. You look very handsome yourself."

He smirked, finding his old confidence back and walked towards her slowly. "Yeah, but I'm nothing compared to you. May I?" He asked her, softly, like a curious child. She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"You may," She answered him, and he began to kiss his future wife. He kissed down her neck, resting his hands against the wall to support the two of them. He heard her sigh and rest her head against his, that wide smile on her face never leaving her. He stopped to check the expression on her face, and he realized he couldn't help but smile with her. Her hands became steadier as she kissed him on the lips, and grasped one of his fingers on his left hand. Both of them could feel the desire they wanted so dearly, but one was oblivious to the reluctant actions his partner still possessed.

"You're so beautiful."

Elsa bit her lip as Jack whispered loving words into her ears to soothe her, but that didn't stop the memory from giving in.

"_You're so beautiful," Pitch chuckled throatily, running his fingers through her hair. She whimpered at his touch, closing her eyes as she cried out in her mind to get away. _

"Hey, hey, it's me, Elsa." Jack mumbled, "I'm here. I'm not gonna hurt you, okay?"

"Jack…" She gasped out, hiding her face in his shoulder.

"Uhm," He thought quickly, looking towards the bed for a solution. "Okay… let's continue this on the bed." He said, and picking her up suddenly, brought her over. He tried his best not to clench his fists in fury as he knew what she was scared over. It would take her a while for her to feel safe around him—more than a while, he reasoned—and he desperately wished it wasn't like that. He sighed as he traced his hands across her beautiful, flushed face.

"Jack?" She muttered weakly, "…Can I be on top?"

He stared at her for a few moments before smiling, and nodded in return. "Of course, love. Everything alright?"

_No, I'm TERRIFIED, _she wanted to say, but she shook her head. They moved on top of each other, Jack breathing rapidly as he stared at her beautiful figure. She started to kiss him again, to try and ease her fears, but this time the memory lapse she had was much more forceful.

"_I was right, Elsie. You do make a brilliant sex toy." Pitch grinned, silencing her with his lips. Elsa shuddered helplessly, running her fingers through his dark, shadowy hair. _

_I shouldn't let myself enjoy this… she whimpered, reluctantly kissing him back. He began to take down her shirt as she did so, letting her bare skin show in the moonlight. She couldn't make sense of where they were—this was different from her other dreams, and she didn't like the fact that she didn't know what the hell she was doing. _

"_Pitch…" She tried to whimper, but no words came out of her lips. They never did. _

"A-ahh," Jack let out a pleasurable grunt as Elsa was taken out of her memory, and she struggled to regain her sight for the few seconds following. She realized that she was kissing the crook of his neck, her heart beating a million times a minute. She wasn't sure if that was out of fear or passion, though. She'd hoped both.

"Elsa… you're so warm…" He mumbled into her hair, and she closed her eyes.

"Mhhmm." She responded in kind, unsure of her voice again. Damnit, damnit, _damnit._ She couldn't get Pitch out of her head, no matter how hard she tried. She kept on telling herself over and over, that this wasn't the same man, that her time in hell was over, but her mind refused the comparison. He frowned at her odd behavior and began to kiss her breasts, which caused her to moan.

They then began to move within each other, swiftly, as if they were racing against time. Elsa felt like she was about to explode from her fear that she harbored, while Jack was savoring every second he experienced with her. He felt himself tense up as she clenched her fingers against his shoulder, and he winced. _That's going to leave a mark, _he thought to himself, but he didn't have a second to spare to be upset by it.

For just as he finished thrusting himself inside of her, Elsa let out a terrified cry and burst into tears. She pushed herself off of him quickly, hugging her arms against her chest. Jack glance up at his love in shock, reaching out to calm her.

"E-elsa… what's wrong?"

He quickly regretted his question. Of course he knew what was wrong—Pitch has been the whole reason of her fright. He knew she was terrified of being touched still, but he hadn't realized that the fear was this bad. She hid her beautiful face from him and crouched down, putting her hands on her face. He sighed at the state he was in and hesitated to touch her, his heart wrenching into pieces.

"I'm sorry." He muttered, placing his hand against her knee. "I-I should've asked you if you wanted to stop… I-I-I didn't mean for you to…" words faltered him then, and he clamped his mouth shut. He waited for her to dry her tears, and glanced out the window for a fleeting second. It looked to be very dark out, but he couldn't place the exact time. It didn't matter, anyway. He turned back to his beauty solemnly.

"I can't get rid of him… h-he'll always be here, no matter how many times I try to forget," She wept, trying to calm her shaking hands. "I-I know I shouldn't be scared anymore, Jack, but…"

"…I know. I've waited for a long time for you, Elsie, I can wait a little while longer." He assured her, giving her a kind smile.

Elsa stared at him in shock and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Jack… no… I want this. Please, I need to forget, snowflake."

"If you breakdown again, I'll stop no matter what." He told her sternly, placing a warm hand against her cheek. She took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay. I love you, Elsa."

"I-I know," She breathed out, allowing him to kiss her again.

A side of him was grateful that they decided to keep doing it, even though it could've been a little selfless. He was ready, more than ready, to claim her. He could sense the hesitation though within her though, but she was also just as eager to finish this off. Feeling the pain –on both sides- fade, Elsa carefully thrusts her hips back and forth, biting her lip as the pleasure returned once more. She let out a sigh of relief when she felt it again, her mind at ease. She loved the feeling of walking on air.

"Elsa… I-I'm gonna…"

"It's okay… I'm okay…" She said breathlessly in return, passing him a smile of love. He then let out a grunt as he finally passed his seed into her womb, before collapsing back onto the bed, exhausted.

**-End- **

"Y-you're… okay? Really?" He asked her again, just to be sure he heard right. She giggled at him and nodded, caressing his cheek.

"Yeah, Jack…. I am… You're such a gentleman." She said through a tearful giggle, kissing the nape of his neck.

"Well, I try to be," He snickered, wiping away the tears from her eyes. "You have no idea how scary it was for me then… and seeing you here now, it…. it's insane."

Elsa smiled at him, and sighed tiredly. "You do crazy things for love, Jack. At least, that's what I learned."

"Aww… so you _have_ been paying attention to my lessons." He chuckled, wiping a fake tear from his eye. Elsa raised an eyebrow of her own as she slapped his face, but she giggled along with him. She fell over on her side so her back was facing the wall, and she decided to lie in a comfortable position. Her eyes fluttered closed as she had no more energy left from the long day, to which Jack chuckled and kissed her nose. "Sweet dreams, Elsa. Don't worry. I'll protect you from him."

She didn't say anything in return as a smile just graced her lips, and her arms found their way around his neck once more. Jack stared at her beautiful face for the longest time, before he entered into his own dreamscape, and watched over her from there.


	23. Chapter 23

**Let's wrap this up now, shall we? I had the chapter finished over a week ago... 'bout time I posted it. Thanks again for all of you who checked this different style of Jelsa out. This one's for you guys. :) the sequel wont be out until the summer of this year, as I want to complete a few other fics I posted on here. I don't wanna write too much and not be able to complete all of it... *shudders* welp, hope you guys enjoy the final installment of _"How to Thaw a Frozen Heart_" let the games begin! XD **

* * *

_How to Thaw a Frozen Heart _

_Chapter twenty-three: I'll wait for you_

* * *

Hans wringed his hands together as he stared at the door, utterly floored. He hated that he was practically thrown out of the room right then—he's gotten so used to feeling on top, that he was always in control of things, that the realization made him feel like a fish out of water.

Well, he can't lie to himself about the matter. He saw this coming—the Queen didn't exactly trust him enough to be within the same room as her sister, putting his past blunders to blame.

He wasn't… he wasn't _angry._ Just unsure. Well, no, that word didn't exactly place his feelings either.

"You're not the only one out here, you know." A voice mumbled, and he turned around to glare at the future King. "So stop whining like a little kid." Beside him, Olaf narrowed his eyes and said nothing.

"That's a lot coming from you, _Jack Frost,"_ He grumbled; "You're the complete being of procrastination."

"It's Jackson _Overland_ now, actually, and refer to me as 'your future highness'," He furrowed his eyebrow, "And when I was Jack Frost, I didn't shirk around. I brought joy to children, alright? Ever heard of snowdays? Yeah, that was all me. When someone was upset, I cheered them up, even if they couldn't see me. And when I became a guardian—no, I was always one… I just didn't want to admit it—it became so much more enjoyable. So don't you ever, think for a second, that I don't give a shit about anything. Ever."

Hans gulped and nodded begrudgingly. He was about to say something when there was a sharp grunt, and the sound of a baby's cry coming from behind the door. Olaf started to giggle with anticipation, as he knew without a doubt what that meant.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

**-Earlier that morning- **

The former guardian was the first to wake up, stretching his arms tiredly as he began to make sense of the night before.

The party was unavoidable… and he finally did it. He finally proposed to Elsa, the only one true love of his life, in front of everybody. The following hour after, he treated her like a goddess. He didn't let her fear anything that troubled her, and wiped away her tears whenever they fell down.

He smiled at the sleeping beauty, leaning over to kiss her nose. The sharp contact made her shudder, and a slight whimper escaped her lips. Jack tensed up right then—was she having another nightmare? She might be; her nose always scrunches up in her sleep to let him know. Sighing, Jack reached over to take a loose strand of hair out of her eyes.

"Elsa?" He asked, silently waiting for her answer.

She made a small noise of refusal as her eyes shot open, and she sat upright in bed. She was breathing heavily as she clutched the blankets to her body, her heart beating a million times a minute. The Queen blinked a few times to calm herself, before sighing, and fell back onto the covers. "It was only a nightmare…" She whispered, reaching out to touch her face.

"Yeah. And I'm alive, and so are you. What were you dreaming of this time, snow angel?" He mumbled, grasping her hand.

"Anna… just…seeing my sister dead… with Pitch hovering over her." She replied dully, her eyes reading no emotions. "I didn't know where I was—I never do. He doesn't tell me." Jack bit his lip as he began to kiss down her neck, causing her to sigh. "Jack…" she paused for a moment, "D-did we… did we really…" _Calm down… keep your emotions in check, Elsa. _"Did we really make love last night?"

He eased a smile towards her, lulling his head. "I don't regret any of it, Elsie. Don't think for a second that I will."

She smiled back at him—_god, his grin is contagious, _she thought_—_and buried her face within his shoulder. "I don't either. I couldn't be any more ready for love than I am now, Jack… and… I know… it'll take me a long while to forget, but… you can promise me that you won't leave me, not even then, right?"

Jack chuckled softly and started to tickle her sides making her squeal in delight. "Why do you think I proposed to such a beautiful, amazing, lovely woman?" She giggled as his hands went up and down her back, and reached to her stomach. She let out a gasp when he touched her there, bursting out even more stilled laughter seconds later. "You're ticklish there? Really?"

"_Jackson!"_ She wailed, grabbing onto his shoulders. He laughed and cheered in victory, hoisting the both of them so they were on their knees. She giggled as he kissed her cheeks now, smiling while he did so. They giggled at each other for a few seconds before she ran her fingers along her face, very much like the time where they first kissed.

"Hey, Jack?"

"Hmm?" He mumbled, peering up at her with those beautiful crystal-blue eyes.

"I love you."

She stopped kissing him then. Jack was always the one who would mutter those words, and Elsa would either agree with him or smile. But, given how much progress they've made, it didn't shock Jack that she would say something like that. He felt his face heat up as he smiled, and leaned in closer to her. He's so proud…. So grateful for this wonderful woman to come into her life.

"J-jack?" She questioned worriedly, frightened by his reaction.

He giggled, and with a soft muttering of, "Oh, I love you too, snow angel" kissed her again on the lips. He smiled through it all and held her close, unwilling to let her go this time around. He was about to lay her down on the bed when there was a knock at the door.

"Snowflake… I have to get that…" She breathed out, but showed no signs that she was willing to let go of him either.

"It's probably just one of your servants…" Jack reasoned, smiling when his lips graced over her nose. She giggled and fiddled with the hair on his head.

There was another knock to be heard, this time more urgent.

"_Jack…_" Elsa warned, moaning as she felt his hands inch her way towards her breasts. Although, this kind of behavior reminded her of the way Pitch refused her freedom, and she couldn't help but shudder at his touch. He just caught the stressed tone in her voice when the door was kicked open, and an angry Lucia showed her face.

"I've been knocking at your friggin' door for the past half hou—oh my god! O-oh my god, I'm so sorry your majesties, I didn't mean to disturb… oh _god._" She stuttered, covering her eyes.

"L-lucia!" She let out an exasperated gasp as her and her lover tumbled backwards, Jack falling onto the floor with the sheets and she collapsed onto her pillow. He struggled to find his shirt on the floor and threw it on him, although it was a little awkward… he only got to close one of the buttons. "I… n-no, I'm the one who should be sorry, w-we couldn't stop—"she slapped her head and motioned for Lucia to leave. "Just give us a minute… why are you here again?"

"I'll tell you when you're… dressed… just… I'll be outside… again, a thousand pardons Queen Elsa… and Sir Jackson." She muttered the last part awkwardly, before bolting out of the room as quickly as she could.

Elsa gulped visibly as she left, slamming the door behind her. She took a few, deep breaths to calm herself before clutching the edges of the bed to glare at Jack. "YOU COULD'VE STOPPED, YOU KNOW!" She bellowed, face turning a bright pink. She grabbed his shirt collar and hoisted him up to meet her at eye-level.

"I regret nothing." He snickered, his face turning a bright pink as well. Elsa grumbled to herself and threw him back onto the floor, sauntering over to her dresser. She fumbled at the looks, to which Jack realized that she was obviously upset by his actions—he sighed. Shaking his head, he stumbled a little as he got up, and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Would it make you feel better if I said I was sorry?"

"I… yes, Jack, you were only trying to make me feel better. It's alright." She mumbled quietly, grinning at him when she saw his dazzling blue eyes in the mirror. She could never stay mad at him for long—she knew that without a doubt. She then picked out a casual dress from a drawer and turned around to kiss him. "Alright. Let me change, I'll see you outside in a few minutes." He nodded, staring at her beautiful figure as she walked away.

Olaf hurried through the long corridors as fast as his little legs could carry him. He huffed a few times to regain his breath, but he couldn't wait long. A worried look spread across his face while he thought of what just happened, hoping that he could find Jack and Elsa quicker than he thought.

"_You okay, Anna?" Kristoff asked her, helping her up. Lucia had ordered the mother-to-be to stay in bed all day, since it was getting difficult for her to move around. She'd objected more than once, but Kristoff took the loyal servants side this time. He took the night off from ice harvesting just to be with her, and even let the friendly snowman to sleep with them. _

_She smiled tiredly and nodded. "Yeah, just hungry. Not to mention Josef's been kicking me again…" _

"_He has? Let me feel, let me feel!" Olaf giggled, getting off from the little stool by the edge of the room and ran over. Anna smiled as she was propped up by the pillow Kristoff offered her, and lifted up her shirt. "I haven't said hi to the little guy in a while… a few months it's been now. Too long." He grinned and climbed onto the bed, placing his head against her stomach. "Heya, buddy!" _

_Anna winced when she felt another kick, this time much sharper than before. Kristoff bit his lip and placed his hand against hers, rubbing it gently. _

"_Welp, now we know he's awake." He chuckled, smiling down at his wife's beaming face. Olaf nodded in agreement as he rested both hands on the spot where he felt the little baby, closing his eyes. _

"_Are you gonna come out yet? Sure, the world may be a scary place sometimes, but there's a mommy and a daddy here who'll love you! Oh, not to mention an aunt with really cool ice powers, and a new uncle! We'll all protect you no problem!" _

_She giggled at him, cupping his cheek in her hands. "Olaf, the baby's not due for another week. Can't you wait till then?" _

"_Noo, I'll die of anticipation! I WON'T BE ABLE TO LIVE WITH MYSELF!" he wailed dramatically, falling onto his side. _

_Kristoff and Anna stared at each other and giggled. The prince grunted as he stood up, walking over to the door where a silver tray was waiting for his wife, since he already ate an hour ago. "It's specially made by Kai—he knows how much you like bacon now. There's a little side-order of carrots, but it's okay if you don't want that. I'll give them to Sven." _

_She smiled at him, taking the plate from his hands. "The food smells delicious, I hope I can eat it this time." She hesitated to reach it though, and suddenly winced, groping the side of her belly. "Ugh, ow…" _

"_Anna!" Both Olaf and Kristoff exclaimed, stopping whatever they were doing. The snowman touched the side of the bed and raised his eyebrow. _

"_Hey… the bed's all wet…" _

_She closed her eyes in pain. _

"_Olaf, get help." Kristoff ordered him, nodding towards the door. _

"_I-is the baby coming?" He asked excitedly, hopping up and down. Kristoff didn't answer him as he grasped Anna's hand tight. _

He felt a smile appear on his face as he found Lucia in the kitchen, resting his hand against her knee to calm himself.

"Olaf, what's the matter?"

"Anna… baby… need… help…"

"Wait?" Lucia gasped, dropping whatever she was doing on the counter. "Alright, Olaf, I'll go get the Queen."

**-Present time- **

Hans had awoken from the noise and peeked out of his room when he saw all of them together. They didn't greet him; the only one to notice his presence was Jack, really, who gave him a glare.

He folded his arms together, leaning against a wall as Kristoff opened up the door.

He looked terrible. His hair was a disheveled mess, and he had dark circles under his eyes. But… as Hans looked closer, he was happy. The ice harvester had a certain glow about him, like all his worries were finally gone. He was at peace. Perhaps that's why Hans felt envy of him. He had everything he desired without even trying. He just didn't understand, either.

"She's been asking for you," He grinned, motioning towards Jack and Olaf. The two of them grinned as they stretched—they've been waiting out there for three hours, the snowman counted—and ran into the room. Hans paused for a second, eyeing Kristoff curiously. Is he seriously considering that he should come in? After what happened? "You too," He answered, and pat him on the back. "Loosen up, will ya? No one's going to kill you."

He rolled his eyes and followed the prince. The room he walked into was much different from his. It was decorated in gold and pink, making the perfect contrast. There were large curtains drawn to match the color pattern, cascading down to the wooden floor. It was certainly a lot livelier than his—it had to be, what with the next royal heir born. He let out a tired sigh and casted a glance towards Anna, who's head was on the pillow. She held a little bundle in her arms, and she had the widest smile on her face that made Hans cringe inside. The servant lady was hovering over her, cooing at the child. And Elsa, who could be dubbed the proudest aunt in the world, closed her eyes in content.

_If only I wasn't so stupid before… _he controlled his emotions as he walked behind Jack, never keeping his eyes off of the princess.

"Everything okay?" The future king asked her, wrapping his arms around her waist. She giggled and kissed his hand.

"Everything's just fine. Look at him—he's got Kristoff's eyes."

And that was when Anna noticed Hans. She glanced up, her eyes showing surprise for a few seconds before they calmed, and a look of serenity came about her. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hi… I heard the noise outside my door; I wanted to check if everything was alright." He muttered lamely.

She giggled softly, "Well, I was really scared... It's about time I met this little guy." She kissed the tiny baby's head, smiling as he babbled. "You missed a lot—but that's okay, we'll tell you all about it when you're over."

"Yeah… uh, I guess I'll be going, now... glad everything's better." He awkwardly walked backwards, and turned around to bolt the heck out of there. Everyone was quiet right then until Olaf slapped his head, letting out a groan.

"There's so much awkwardness in this room, geese… Hans, come back. We're not mad at you—we're giving you the worst punishment of all, and that's letting you stay at this castle. The least you can do is smile, and say hello to the new baby. Then you could leave." He muttered, and with a grunt, carried the little Josef in his hands.

Hans stood frozen in his place as he saw what was going on; he was even more surprised when nobody tried to stop the snowman. His hands were robotic as he took the small thing into his grasp, his nose scrunching up as he held him.

"Calm down. Support the baby by the back." Elsa ordered, motioning towards Josef.

He nodded and gulped, doing what he was told. He stared at the baby with an odd expression of relief and complexion… if he hadn't come here, if he hadn't caused trouble to this family, none of this would've happened. The ice within Elsa's heart would've never thawed, and she would still be stuck in her room to this day. She wouldn't have been able to met Jack, who later became the love of her life.

And…

He felt tears sprinkle his eyes as Josef opened his, reaching out his tiny hand to touch Hans's nose.

…this little bundle of joy would've never been born. Everything would be terrible—so why was he still wishing that it was?

"Fear and pain is all I've ever known," Hans spoke up, causing everyone to glance up at him. "So… that's why I worked for Pitch. I-I always knew that there was a better life out there for me, but I was just so afraid… I was afraid that once I got comfortable, the fear would come back. O-or worse, my brothers would come back to take me home. I don't… _didn't_ know what happiness was. I just always thought that… I wasn't meant to experience it." The little boy reached out his other hand and grabbed Hans's face, giggling as he smiled back at him. "Its funny how someone so small could make me realize that."

Kristoff nodded and eased a smile, going over to kiss his son's head. "We all make mistakes sometimes, Hans. It's what we do—we're all human, and nobody's perfect. It's time we put the past behind us… and I thank you for coming here those years ago, because Anna wouldn't be the wonderful woman she is today. I'm not the same either, for that matter."

"Elsa…" Anna whispered to her sister, who folded her arms in aggravation. She grinned. "Hans, my sister has something she wants to say to you."

"Anna, please," She grumbled, but she rolled her eyes. She understood Kristoff's words to a point—it'll take her longer than him though to forget the past. "I have nightmares, each passing night of what could have been my sister's death. Pitch may be defeated by North, but he touched my soul in a way that'll never be healed. I'm not ready to forgive you just yet, Hans, but I respect your reasoning to stay, and I… and I _am _grateful that you allowed my sister to cooperate in the battle. It's better to know certain things in life than to be blinded by ignorance. The same goes for my snowflake, but he'll tell you his own version in due time."

"That's all I ask, your highness, I'll devote my life to look after your family in return." He said sincerely, letting out a sigh. "It's the least I can do… after all the trouble I've caused."

Kristoff smiled at them and nodded, glad that his new family has come to this. He chuckled as Josef started to cry and he reached out to pick him up, smirking when Hans was a little reluctant to let go. He smiled back at Anna, who raised an eyebrow at him, but resulted in saying nothing. What followed after was quite peaceful to the new parents, as they certainly needed the time to rest up. They had big events ahead of them, full of new stories and adventures—each of them were so excited to see it unfold.

And for a certain snow queen, she watched on, a genuine smile gracing her features as her lover wrapped his arms around her waist. She didn't have her own happily ever after just yet, but Jack was waiting. When that time came, he'd still be there in all his glory, doing the one thing he did best: and that was giving her all the love she deserved.

**THE END**


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